Blood ketones preferred over urinalysis for suspected diabetic ketoacidosis Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a medical emergency with serious consequences such as delirium/coma and/or dehydration causing pre-renal failure and death. In patients with type 1 diabetes, DKA may occur at diagnosis or subsequently arise as a result of surgery, trauma, infections, high dose steroids or cardiovascular ischaemia. For patients with type 2 diabetes, these causes need to combine with significantly impaired insulin secretion, typically in a setting of insulin use...