Diabetic ketoacidosis is associated with blood glucose exceeding which value?

Diabetic ketoacidosis is associated with blood glucose exceeding which value?

• A. 180 mg/dL
• B. 250 mg/dL
• C. 300 mg/dL
• D. 500 mg/dL

Answer: (B)

Diabetic ketoacidosis is suspected when hyperglycemia occurs alongside metabolic acidosis and ketones. The commonly used threshold to flag DKA is a blood glucose above about 250 mg/dL. This level helps distinguish DKA from milder hyperglycemia and from other hyperglycemic states like the hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, which tends to have much higher glucose without significant acidosis. In DKA, lack of insulin drives ketone production and acidosis, while glucose may be elevated but not as extremely high as seen in other conditions. So 250 mg/dL is the best marker among the options for associating with DKA.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is suspected when hyperglycemia occurs alongside metabolic acidosis and ketones. The commonly used threshold to flag DKA is a blood glucose above about 250 mg/dL. This level helps distinguish DKA from milder hyperglycemia and from other hyperglycemic states like the hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, which tends to have much higher glucose without significant acidosis. In DKA, lack of insulin drives ketone production and acidosis, while glucose may be elevated but not as extremely high as seen in other conditions. So 250 mg/dL is the best marker among the options for associating with DKA.