Which serum parameter would be increased in diabetic ketoacidosis?

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Multiple Choice

Which serum parameter would be increased in diabetic ketoacidosis?

In diabetic ketoacidosis, lack of insulin drives the liver to release more glucose and tissues to take up less glucose, so blood glucose levels rise markedly. This hyperglycemia is the feature most consistently seen and reflects the metabolic derailment caused by insulin deficiency. The other parameters can be altered too—sodium often appears low due to osmotic shifts and dehydration, potassium may be high or normal initially but total body potassium is depleted, and chloride varies with acid-base status and fluids given—but none are as reliably elevated as glucose. So the serum parameter that would be increased is glucose.

In diabetic ketoacidosis, lack of insulin drives the liver to release more glucose and tissues to take up less glucose, so blood glucose levels rise markedly. This hyperglycemia is the feature most consistently seen and reflects the metabolic derailment caused by insulin deficiency. The other parameters can be altered too—sodium often appears low due to osmotic shifts and dehydration, potassium may be high or normal initially but total body potassium is depleted, and chloride varies with acid-base status and fluids given—but none are as reliably elevated as glucose. So the serum parameter that would be increased is glucose.

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