ABSTRACT
Aim There are reports of COVID-19 patients presenting with new onset diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome (HHS). We compared the characteristics of patients with DKA with and without COVID-19 and their effect on mortality. Research design and methods A retrospective study at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York was performed using ICD-10 codes to identify patients with DKA from March 1 to May 31 in 2019 and 2020. Results While comparing COVID-19 patients with DKA to the DKA patients without COVID-19 in both 2019 and 2020, hispanic patients, males, and type 2 diabetes predominated. COVID-19 patients were older (p=0.010), had more hypertension (p=0.002), and severe lactic acidosis (p=0.006). Mortality for DKA patients with COVID-19 was 57%, for DKA patients without COVID-19 it was 2.1% (p=0.0001), and for diabetic patients (no DKA) with COVID-19 it was 39% (p=0.035). Within the COVID-19 group, older age (mean age 65), (p=0.014), elevated CRP (p=0.012), low O2 saturation (p=0.001), and beta blocker use (P=0.01) were associated with increased mortality. Conclusions COVID-19 patients are older, have a history of hypertension, more severe DKA and lactic acidosis than patients without COVID-19. There was no increase in DKA with HHS. DKA, but not diabetic parameters, hypertension, and older age predicted a poor outcome.
