Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Insulin in Treatment of Patient With Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The most common acute hyperglycemic emergency is diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA is one of the leading causes of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) related deaths in people aged 30 and under. In this meta-analysis, the Overall use of IV insulin in patients with mild/moderate vs. severe diabetic ketoacidosis was compared in randomized controlled trial articles from January 2011 to December 2021 using EMBASE, Medline, and CENTRAL. Only 8 of 3258 studies met the inclusion criteria. This review shows that intravenous insulin can significantly decrease plasma glucose and potassium levels in mild/moderate cases and severe cases. However, it can decrease the resolution time of acidosis more quickly in mild/moderate cases than in severe cases. In the current meta-analysis, the use of IV insulin is secure and efficient. There was no discernible difference in the effectiveness of IV insulin between mild/moderate and severe DKA.