“…There should be documentation on a flow chart of hour‐by‐hour clinical observations, IV and oral medications, fluids, and laboratory results. Monitoring should include the following: - Hourly (or more frequently as indicated) vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure)
- Hourly (or more frequently as indicated) neurological observations (Glasgow coma score; Table ) for warning signs and symptoms of cerebral edema (see below)
- onset of headache after starting DKA treatment or worsening of headache already present before commencing treatment
- inappropriate slowing of heart rate
- recurrence of vomiting
- change in neurological status (restlessness, irritability, increased drowsiness, confusion, incontinence) or specific neurologic signs (eg, cranial nerve palsies, abnormal pupillary responses)
- rising blood pressure
- decreased oxygen saturation
- rapidly increasing serum sodium concentration suggesting loss of urinary free water as a manifestation of diabetes insipidus (from interruption of blood flow to the pituitary gland due to cerebral herniation)
- Amount of administered insulin
- Hourly (or more frequently as indicated) accurate fluid input (including all oral fluid) and output .
- Capillary blood glucose concentration should be measured hourly (but must be cross‐checked against laboratory venous glucose as capillary methods may be inaccurate in the presence of poor peripheral circulation and acidosis, and is limited in measuring extremely high levels).
- Laboratory tests : serum electrolytes, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, hematocrit, and blood gases should be repeated 2 to 4 hourly, or more frequently, as clinically indicated, in more severe cases.
- Blood BOHB concentrations, if available, every 2 to 4 hours
- Near‐patient (also referred to as point‐of‐care) BOHB measurements correlate well with a reference method up to 3 mmol/L, but are not accurate above 5 mmol/L
…”