Normoglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis in pregnancy

Abstract

The clinical presentation of diabetic ketoacidosis in pregnancy is usually the same as in nonpregnant women, although the blood glucose may not be as high as in the nongravid state. We report a case of a pregnant woman who developed diabetic ketoacidosis with a normal blood glucose and review the pertinent medical literature. A 29-year-old woman with type I diabetes developed diabetic ketoacidosis during induction of labor. She had a glucose level of 87 mg per 100 ml with ketonuria, a metabolic acidosis, and an anion gap of 20 mmol l⁻¹. Normoglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis during pregnancy is truly unusual but can occur with relatively low, or even normal, blood sugars and necessitates prompt recognition and treatment. In this case, the combination of an initial episode of hypoglycemia and subsequent blood glucose levels below 95 mg per 100 ml led to a prolonged delay in the initiation of a planned insulin infusion for insulin coverage during the induction of labor. A significant ketoacidosis consequently developed, despite the absence of even a single elevated blood glucose measurement. This case illustrated the importance of not withholding insulin in a patient with type I diabetes for more than a few hours even if the blood glucose is normal.