• Alexander Croft, Antonino Bucca, Jaclyn H Jansen, Christine Motzkus, Audrey Herbert, Alfred Wang, and Benton R Hunter.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
• J Emerg Med. 2020 Nov 1; 59 (5): e193e197e193-e197.

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a novel coronavirus first diagnosed in U.S. hospitals in January 2020. Typical presenting symptoms include fever, dry cough, dyspnea, and hypoxia. However, several other symptoms have been reported, including fatigue, weakness, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. We have identified a series of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) likely precipitated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Case SeriesWe describe 5 patients with previously known type 2 diabetes and no history of DKA, who presented to the emergency department with new-onset DKA and COVID-19. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Diabetes mellitus is a known risk factor for poor outcomes in viral respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Infection may precipitate DKA in patients with type 2 diabetes. Aggressive management of these patients is recommended; however, management guidelines have not yet been put forth for this unique subset of patients.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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