Emergency Medicine

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Title: Cerebral Edema in Pediatric DKA

Category: Pediatrics

Posted: 10/14/2011 by Rose Chasm, MD (Updated: 3/4/2026)

  • 0.3-1.5% of all pediatric DKA cases
  • 21-24% mortality rate
  • usually at 4-12 hours after therapy starts
  • risk factors:  <5years old, new onset diagnosis, increased BUN at presentation, severity of acidosis at presentation, bicarbonate use
  • have low threshold to diagnose and treat:  don't wait to treat for the CT!