Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and often the initial admitting diagnosis in type I diabetes diagnosis (Sharma, Kumar & Yadav, 2017). The purpose of this poster is to discuss the pathophysiology, risk factors, nursing implications signs and symptoms of DKA. The incidence of DKA has risen by 30% over the past decade, with more than 140,000 hospital admissions every year in the United States (Basam et al., 2017). DKA hospitalizations account for 2.4 billion dollars annually (Basam et al., 2017). DKA can be a life threating complication for any diabetic. As a future family nurse practitioner (FNP), managing patient’s diabetes is a crucial aspect in my future job prospects. The best treatment for DKA is prevention. As a FNP, close monitoring and education is crucial in the prevention of DKA. DKA being a major complication, understanding the etiology and pathophysiology is imperative in treatment and educating patients in prevention