- Diagnosis: Blood glucose (300 and 800 mg/dL)
- Treatment
- Rehydration (0.9-0.45% saline)
- Restoring Electrolytes (K+)
- loss of potassium from body stores and an intracellular-to-extracellular shift of
potassium
- Reversing Acidosis (reversed with insulin)
- Regular insulin infusion (5 units/hr)
- Hourly blood glucose monitoring
Initially, 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) solution is administered at a rapid
rate, usually 0.5 to 1 L/hour for 2 to 3 hours. Half-strength normal saline (0.45%) solution (also known as hypotonic saline
solution) may be used for patients with hypertension or hypernatremia and those at
risk for heart failure.