Community deaths from diabetic ketoacidosis: A 14‐year retrospective study in Auckland, New Zealand
Authors' conclusion
Clinical factors such as living in a one-person household, poor glycaemic control, health care disengagement, and prior DKA admission may be associated with a higher risk of death by DKA in the community.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≥18 years who died from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in the community in Auckland, New Zealand, January 2010–December 2023; postmortem DKA confirmation (vitreous glucose >10 mmol/L and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) ≥2.5 mmol/L)
- Participants
- 79 adults
- Outcome
- Characteristics of community DKA deaths
Methodological detailssingle-region, forensic pathology case series, Cases identified through forensic pathology records; data from electronic medical records, police and coroner's reports
- Single-region
- Forensic pathology case series
- Cases identified through forensic pathology records; data from electronic medical records, police and coroner's reports
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Age (mean ± SD)
- 55 ± 16 years
- Men
- 61%
- T1D
- 42%
- T2D
- 41%
- Pancreatogenic diabetes
- 2.5%
- Previously undiagnosed diabetes
- 15%
- Living alone
- 58%
- HbA1c (mean ± SD)
- 88 ± 25 mmol/mol (10.2 ± 4.4%)
- Medication non-adherence
- 59%
- Alcohol abuse
- 20%
- Illicit drug use
- 19%
- Unrecognised moderate or severe coronary artery disease at autopsy, among those with known diabetes
- 43%
- T1D with a DKA admission in the year prior to death; few received timely follow-up
- One-third
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Community deaths from diabetic ketoacidosis: A 14‐year retrospective study in Auckland, New Zealand. Diabet Med. Published 21 December 2025. doi:10.
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