Contact a Recovery Advocate today to take the first step toward living an alcohol-free life. The best way to prevent AKA is to limit alcohol consumption or stop drinking entirely. Treatment for an underlying AUD can help with this and may include inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment, support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, and individual or group therapy. Alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA) is a serious condition requiring prompt medical intervention. Treatment includes aggressive hydration, glucose replenishment, and restoration of electrolyte balance. Ketone bodies are organic compounds produced as by-products when fatty acids are broken down for energy in the liver and kidneys.
Acid-Base Disorders in the Critically Ill Patient
If you have any additional complications during treatment, this will also affect the length of your hospital stay. These conditions have to be ruled out before a medical professional can diagnose you with alcoholic ketoacidosis. Alcohol abuse treatment programs teach people how to move into an alcohol-free lifestyle while teaching them healthy coping strategies.
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The accompanying lack of alcohol in the patient’s body and the fact that for some time, the only source alcoholic ketoacidosis smell of calories that a patient has is ethanol both contribute to the clinical syndrome that we see. If your blood glucose level is elevated, your doctor may also perform a hemoglobin A1C (HgA1C) test. This test will provide information about your sugar levels to help determine whether you have diabetes. If you develop any of these symptoms, seek emergency medical attention. People who drink large quantities of alcohol may not eat regularly. Glucose comes from the food you eat, and insulin is produced by the pancreas.
Conditions
- You should also follow all of your doctor’s recommendations to ensure proper nutrition and recovery.
- Prevention of AKA involves the treatment of chronic alcohol abuse.
- Growth hormone, epinephrine, cortisol, and glucagon are all increased.
- The condition is further exacerbated by lipolysis, which releases free fatty acids into the bloodstream, and intravascular volume contraction.
- Several factors contribute to the onset of AKA, including starvation-induced hypoinsulinemia—a deficiency of insulin in the blood—as well as the direct oxidation of alcohol to its ketone metabolites.
You should also follow all of your doctor’s recommendations to ensure proper nutrition and recovery. Management and prevention of Alcoholic Ketoacidosis (AKA) strongly rely on making significant lifestyle changes, particularly in relation to alcohol consumption and nutritional intake. Since AKA often develops in the context of heavy alcohol use combined with poor dietary habits, addressing these areas is crucial for both recovery and prevention of recurrence.
NYU Langone Medical Center is one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers whose mission is to serve, teach, and discover. If you believe you or someone you love may be struggling with addiction, let us hear your story and help you determine a path to treatment.
