Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar State (HHS) is less common than Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) but is associated with a mortality rate up to 10 times greater than that seen in DKA Typically seen in elderly patients with severely elevated blood glucose levels (>1000 mg/dL) and an increased plasma osmolality Unlike in DKA,…

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Insulin pumps provide a continuous infusion of fast-acting insulin using a basal rate and bolus prior to meals Some connect to a continuous glucometer but often blood glucose needs to be checked manually Hypoglycemia is rarely due to a malfunctioning pump – there is usually an another external factor…

Contributor:  Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Recent study looked at whether lactated ringers might be a better choice for fluid resuscitation in patients with DKA compared to normal saline Normal saline can cause a hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis Time to resolution of acidosis was 4 hours less with lactated ringers compared to normal saline Time on…

Contributor: Dylan Luyten, MD Educational Pearls Acidosis can be caused by a respiratory, metabolic, or mixed source A respiratory acidosis will have a low serum pH and elevated bicarbonate if it’s chronic, but most importantly end tidal CO2 or arterial CO2 will be high.   With a metabolic acidosis we expect to see a low serum…

Contributor: Nick Tsipis, MD Educational Pearls: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of enzyme deficiencies in the adrenals leading to a deficiency of hormones normally synthesized by the adrenals (mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, androgens) 21-hydroxylase is most commonly the deficient enzyme. 21-hydroxylase is needed to produce aldosterone and cortisol, and those with chronic cortisol deficiencies need…

Contributor: Dylan Luyten, MD Educational Pearls: Insulin related hypoglycemia can vary from a brief transient effect from short-acting forms (i.e. insulin lispro) to prolonged from long acting (i.e. insulin glargine), and will require different treatment and/or observation Of oral glycemic agents, sulfonylureas are a common culprit while metformin is rarely a cause Sulfonylureas also deserve…

Contributor: Don Stader, MD Educational Pearls: The common causes of anion gap metabolic acidosis include (MUDPILES) Metformin, Methanol  Uremia  DKA Paraldehyde  INH/Iron  Lactate Ethylene Glycol  Salicylate  Metformin is a very common drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, however in the right setting, it can cause a profound lactic acidosis. There is a very high…

Contributor: Dylan Luyten, MD Educational Pearls: Those that are hypokalemic are often hypomagnesemic, and should receive magnesium (Mg) supplementation if repleting potassium Mg levels are typically not necessary – if someone is suspect to have hypomagnesemia, just given them Mg Mg increases the AV node refractory period and therefore may be helpful as an adjunct…