Differentiating Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Hyperglycemic Ketosis Due to Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome in Adults With Type 1 Diabetes
To differentiate diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) from hyperglycemic ketosis due to cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (HK-CHS) in adults with type 1 diabetes.
Research Design and Methods
Of 295 adults with type 1 diabetes who were seen with DKA related ICD-10 codes, 68 patients with 172 DKA events meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Cannabis use was defined as positive urine test for cannabis. Linear mixed models were used to define HK-CHS (pH ≥7.4 with bicarbonate ≥ 15) and sensitivity and specificity were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC).
Results
Cannabis users had significantly higher pH (7.42 ± 0.01 vs 7.09 ± 0.02) and bicarbonate (19.2 ± 0.61 vs 9.1 ± 0.71) (p<0.0001) compared to non-users. The area under the ROC for positive cannabis urine test predicting HK-CHS was 0.9892.
Conclusions
In patients who present with DKA and higher pH, especially pH ≥ 7.4, cannabis use should be considered in differential diagnosis.
