Ethnicity and young age influence the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset of type 1 diabetes.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may be present at the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D), increasing both its morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of this complication at the clinical presentation of T1D, as well as possible interfering factors in a multi-ethnic population from Brazil. We have reviewed the medical charts of 545 individuals with T1D diagnosed between 1968 and 2006 from two major local diabetes treatment centers. DKA occurred in 179 patients (32.8%) at the onset of T1D. The frequency of DKA was higher in non-white than white individuals (p<0.0001) and in the younger age groups (