Background: Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State are the most commonly encountered diabetic decompensation emergencies. Thereby, this study was conducted to determine the presentation and management of diabetic coma cases attending the Emergency Rooms (ERs), also, to investigate their awareness about the difference between the outpatient clinic and ERs, and their evaluation of the provided services in the ERs of Riyadh city, central Saudi Arabia.
Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study, carried out on 119 diabetic coma cases from all age groups, attending the ERs of Riyadh City, during the period from 1 April to 31 September 2019. Data were collected through a pre-designed online disseminated questionnaire including questions about the socio-demographic characteristics, history of transfer to the ERs, and their awareness about the difference between the outpatient clinics and ERs, along with their evaluation to the provided services in ERs.
Results: There were 70.6% cases of females, about a third (31.9%) of them were aged > 40 years. Almost, 54.6% of cases were Type II Diabetes mellitus. The coma was hypoglycemic in the majority (69.7%) of cases. Approximately, 85.7% of cases knew the difference between the ER and the outpatient clinics. Improvement of diabetic coma in the ER was reported in 85.7% of the patients. Besides, 28.6% assessed that the provided service in the ERs were good.
Conclusion: It was concluded that the majority of cases of diabetic coma attending the ERs reported that they improved in the ER.
Key words: Diabetic coma, hypoglycemic, hyperglycemia, emergency rooms, awareness
|
