Precipitating Factors, Complications, and Outcomes of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) in Adults and Pediatrics: A Descriptive Study from Two Tertiary Centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious acute complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden worldwide. This study aimed to investigate population descriptors and clinical outcomes among adult and pediatric patients admitted with DKA at two tertiary medical centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study that included adult and pediatric (≤15 years) patients admitted to emergency departments (EDs) and received care for DKA between 2018 and 2021. DKA severity was defined according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria, which rely on arterial/venous pH and serum bicarbonate (with anion gap supportive), as follows: mild (pH 7.25–7.30; HCO3− 15–18 mmol/L), moderate (pH 7.00–7.24; HCO3− 10–15 mmol/L), and severe (pH < 7.00; HCO3− < 10 mmol/L). Data were extracted from electronic medical records and analyzed descriptively. Results: A total of 373 patients were admitted to the EDs and received treatment for DKA throughout the study period. Adults constituted 71.6% (267/373), while children represented 28.4% (106/373) of the patients; the majority of adults (74.2%) had Type 1 DM (T1DM), while all pediatric patients had T1DM. More than half of the adult presentations met the criteria for severe DKA (55.8%; 149/267), whereas pediatric cases were most commonly moderate in severity (41.5%; 44/106). The most common precipitating factors across both age groups of patients with diabetes before the index DKA event were non-compliance with therapy and infection. Both groups demonstrated typical biochemical features of DKA, although pediatric patients presented with slightly lower bicarbonate and higher anion gaps (slightly greater metabolic acidosis) but with similar hydration status. Regarding patients’ outcomes, hyperkalemia was identified in 23.6% of adults and 24.5% of pediatric patients, while hypokalemia was documented in 20.2% of adults and 24.5% of pediatric patients, and adult patients experienced more acute kidney injuries than the other cohort (5.2% vs. 1.9%). In-hospital mortality was 0.8% (3/373) among all adults. Although pediatric patients experienced faster DKA resolution (median = 16.5 h; IQR, 11.7–25.8) compared to adult patients (23.7 h; 16.2–36.9), they had a longer hospital stay compared to adult patients, and a significant majority required ICU care (50.9%) at some point during their care. Conclusions: The increasing prevalence of DM in Saudi Arabia, especially among the youth, would lead to an increase in DKA burden unless effective preventive measures are taken. This study demonstrated that preventable causes, such as non-compliance with therapy and infection, were responsible for the high admission rates. Thus, comprehensive outpatient care can help strengthen care continuity and help decrease the burden on emergency and inpatient services.