Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemia

Medical Emergencies - Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemia... 

Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemia (HH) is generally the fulminant result of poorly treated type 2 diabetes or delayed diagnosis of previously unknown type 2 diabetes. HH is less frequent than DKA, but mortality is higher and remains close to 15% in many centres [1,20]. As implied hyperosmolality is the primary clinical problem and there will be hyperglycaemia of >35 0 mmol/L and an effective seram osmolality of >320 mOsm/kg (Table 1). HH most often occurs in frail patients in combination with other potentially fatal conditions. Strict differentiation between DKA and HH can be difficult, because some degree of ketosis may be present in HH and because, for example, lactic acidosis, respiratory and renal failure may also be present. In practise this dilemma is mainly ornamental, since diagnostic and therapeutic efforts follow the same principles. 

---