Incidence of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Hospitalized COVID19 Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction: Diabetes is a disease of persistent hyperglycemia with a devastating complication and even death if left untreated. Morbidity and mortality often increased for any condition among patients with diabetes. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute and life-threatening complication of diabetes. It can occur to type 2 diabetes (T2DM) under severe stress. Since the pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19), that caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, Hubei China, in December 2019, more than 47 million infected cases reported leading to more than 1.2 million deaths reported worldwide. The presence of diabetes in COVID19 patients had a higher odd of severity and mortality of the COVID19 compared to patients without diabetes. Our study aims to identify the incidence rate of DKA in T2DM admitted with COVID19 in a tertiary care center. Evidence showed those populations at considerable risk for morbidity and mortality and no available data in Saudi Arabia. Method: A retrospective cohort of adult patients admitted for COVID19, with a diagnosis of T2DM or clinical evidence of DKA in a tertiary care center named King Fahad Medical City located in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The study involved a chart review. Data collected from the beginning of March 2020 till the end of June 2020. Results: Of 244 patients with T2DM admitted for COVID19, 190 patients were male, and 55 patients were female. The mean age was 59-year-old. out of 244 patients collected, 20 had developed DKA. The incidence rate of DKA was 8%. Number and percentage of male was 15 (71.4%) and female 6 (28.6%). Out of 20 patients admitted with DKA and COVID-19, two patients were not known to have diabetes prior to the presentation. Mortality resulted in 5 out of 20 during admission stay, represent 25% of all patients with DKA. Discussion: Here we report the first study in S.A. about DKA incidence in T2DM with COVID19 pneumonia. In the present study, an alarming observation of a higher incidence of DKA in a patient with type 2 diabetes and COVID19 infection as incidence reaches 8% over a short period of time while incidence worldwide area range was less than 2 per 1000 person-year for DKA in type 2 diabetes without COVID19. A study reported 20 % of patients who have diabetes and COVID19 presented ketosis developed DKA. We report the incidence of DKA in selected group. The mortality rate was not far from different evidence in the world. The mortality rate was 25% in the present study. In the USA, it reaches 30% of inpatient with hyperglycemia at presentation. Conclusion: DKA is a life-threatening complication, and it became worse when it is related to COVID19. The incidence of DKA and mortality related to COVID19 increased when DKA occurs for T2DM subjects. A more prospective study is warranted and a longer duration of the study to establish the accurate incidence and mortality rate.