Article Text
Abstract
To highlight the implications of the metabolic stress response and the role of anaesthesia in attenuating its deleterious effects, we present this extremely rare case of non-diabetic euglycaemic ketoacidosis with rapid weight loss in a post-traumatic surgical patient. Ketoacidosis is the accumulation of ketone bodies in blood and is generally associated with relative or absolute insulin deficiency secondary to diabetes mellitus, sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and extensive fasting. The stress of systemic disease, trauma or surgery in such predisposed patients could precipitate ketoacidosis. Our patient developed high anion gap metabolic acidosis intraoperatively due to ketosis, a potentially life-threatening complication, without any predisposing factors as a result of metabolic stress of major trauma and surgery. Aiding the interpretation, he lost 15 kg weight perioperatively, suggesting his body was in a hypercatabolic state. This report emphasises the value of anaesthetic techniques to prevent such rare complications.
- Anaesthesia
- Metabolic disorders
- Surgery
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Footnotes
Contributors DSK conceived the idea of the case report and participated in the design, data collection, analysis, drafting of the manuscript, revision of the manuscript and approval of the final manuscript. YXC and NL participated in data collection, analysis, drafting of the manuscript, revision of the manuscript and approval of the final manuscript.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.