Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · May 1988
Case Reports[Alcoholic ketoacidosis. An important differential diagnosis from diabetic ketoacidosis].
Ketoacidosis developed in two patients, a woman aged 36 and a man aged 55 years, 48 and 36 hours, respectively, after a bout of drinking alcohol to excess. Both were dehydrated with hyperventilation and signs of cachexia. ⋯ Treatment with insulin and fluids, as well as normalization of the electrolytes, brought about rapid regression of the metabolic disorder and restoration of the carbohydrate metabolism. Both patients were discharged without medication or dietary prescription, other than abstinence from alcohol.