Severe diabetic ketoacidosis leading to cardiac failure, pulmonary oedema and spinal cord oedema resulting in tetraplegia. (13th December 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Christodoulidou, Michelle; Selmi, Fahed
• Is Part Of: BMJ case reports. Volume 2012
• Publication Date: 2012-12-13
• Subjects: Medicine -- Case studies -- Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2012-006769
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1757-790X

Abstract

Abstract : A 23-year-old man with poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus presented to casualty with community-acquired pneumonia and diabetic ketoacidosis. Shortly after admission he deteriorated and developed cardiac failure, pulmonary oedema and further decreased level of consciousness. He was sedated and ventilated for 3 weeks in the intensive care unit. On waking from sedation he was found to be tetraplegic. MRI scan showed gross oedema of the cervical spinal cord with area suspicious of infarction. We describe a rare cause of spinal cord injury and discuss the proposed hypotheses.