Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T10:29:44.532Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Utilizing End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide to Diagnose Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Prehospital Patients with Hyperglycemia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

Christopher Hunter*
Affiliation:
Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando, FloridaUSA
Monty Putman
Affiliation:
Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando, FloridaUSA
Jermaine Foster
Affiliation:
Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando, FloridaUSA
Amy Souers
Affiliation:
Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando, FloridaUSA
Alexa Rodriguez
Affiliation:
Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando, FloridaUSA
Christian Zuver
Affiliation:
Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando, FloridaUSA
Linda Papa
Affiliation:
Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, Orlando, FloridaUSA
*
Correspondence: Christopher Hunter, MD, PhD, Orlando Health Department of Emergency Medicine, 86 W. Underwood Street, Suite 200, MP 31, Orlando, Florida32806USA, E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Background:

Early identification of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may improve clinical outcomes. Prior studies suggest exhaled end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) provides a non-invasive, real-time method to screen for DKA in the emergency department (ED).

Methods:

This a retrospective cohort study among patients who activated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) during a one-year period. Initial out-of-hospital vital signs documented by EMS personnel, including ETCO2 and first recorded blood glucose level (BGL), as well as in-hospital records, including laboratory values and diagnosis, were collected. The main outcome was the association between ETCO2 and the diagnosis of DKA.

Results:

Of the 118 patients transported with hyperglycemia (defined by BGL >200), six (5%) were diagnosed with DKA. The mean level of ETCO2 in those without DKA was 35mmHg (95% CI, 33-38mmHg) compared to mean levels of 15mmHg (95% CI, 8-21mmHg) in those with DKA (P <.001). The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curve (AUC) for ETCO2 identifying DKA was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.92-1.00). The correlation coefficient between ETCO2 and serum bicarbonate (HCO3) was 0.436 (P <.001) and the correlation coefficient between ETCO2 and anion gap was -0.397 (P <.001).

Conclusion:

Among patients with hyperglycemia, prehospital levels of ETCO2 were significantly lower in patients with DKA compared to those without and were predictive of the diagnosis of DKA. Furthermore, out-of-hospital ETCO2 was significantly correlated with measures of metabolic acidosis.

Type
Original Research
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Dhatariya, KK.Defining and characterizing diabetic ketoacidosis in adults. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2019;155:e107797.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karslioglu French, E, Donihi, AC, Korytkowski, MT.Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome: review of acute decompensated diabetes in adult patients. BNJ. 2019;365:eI1114.Google ScholarPubMed
Villani, M, Nanayakkara, N, Ranasinha, S, et al.Utilization of prehospital emergency medical services for hyperglycemia: a community-based observational study. PLos One. 2017;12(8):e0182413CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holstein, A, Plaschke, A, Vogel, MY, Egberts, EH.Prehospital management of diabetic emergencies – a population-based intervention study. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2003;47(5):610615.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benoit, SR, Kahn, HS, Geller, AI, et al.Diabetes-related emergency medical services activations in 23 states, United States 2015. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2018;22(6):705712.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soleimanpour, H, Taghiadieh, A, Niafar, M, Rahmani, F, Golzari, SE, Esfanjani, RM.Predictive value of capnography for suspected diabetic ketoacidosis in the emergency department. West J Emerg Med. 2013;14(6):590594.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fearon, DM, Steele, DW.End-tidal carbon dioxide predicts the presence and severity of acidosis in children with diabetes. Acad Emerg Med. 2002;9(12):13731378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilhotra, Y, Porter, P.Predicting diabetic ketoacidosis in children by measuring end-tidal CO2 via non-invasive nasal capnography. J Paediatr Child Health. 2007;43(10);677680.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunter, CL, Silvestri, S, Ralls, G, Bright, S, Papa, L.The sixth vital sign: prehospital end-tidal carbon dioxide predicts in-hospital mortality and metabolic disturbances. Am J Emerg Med. 2014;32(2):160165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Agus, MS, Alexander, JL, Mantrell, PA.Continuous non-invasive end-tidal CO2 monitoring in pediatric inpatients with diabetic ketoacidosis. Pediatr Diabetes. 2006;7(4):196200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garcia, E, Abramo, TJ, Okada, P, Guzman, DD, Reisch, JS, Wiebe, RA.Capnometry for noninvasive continuous monitoring of metabolic status in pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. Crit Care Med. 2003;31(10):25392543.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunter, CL, Silvestri, S, Ralls, G, Stone, A, Walker, A, Papa, L.A prehospital screening tool utilizing end-tidal carbon dioxide predicts sepsis and severe sepsis. Am J Emerg Med. 2016;34(5):813819.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunter, CL, Silvestri, S, Dean, M, Falk, JL, Papa, L.End-tidal carbon dioxide is associated with mortality and lactate in patients with suspected sepsis. Am J Emerg Med. 2013;31(1):6471.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Childress, K, Arnold, K, Hunter, CL, Ralls, G, Papa, L, Silvestri, S.Prehospital end-tidal carbon dioxide predicts mortality in trauma patients. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2018;22(2):170174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kheng, CP, Rahman, NH.The use of end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring in patients with hypotension in the emergency department. Int J Emerg Med. 2012;5(1):31CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yang, HW, Jeon, W, Min, YG, Lee, JS.Usefulness of end-tidal carbon dioxide as an indicator of dehydration in pediatric emergency departments: a retrospective observational study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(35):e7881.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed