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Alcoholic coma

Last edited: 4/15/2026

Overview

Alcoholic coma often manifests as alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA), characterized by severe metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia, and can be complicated by sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome 1.

Diagnosis

  • Key Criteria: Severe metabolic acidosis, ketonuria/ketonemia, hypoglycemia, electrolyte imbalances 1.
  • Recommended Tests: Blood gas analysis, serum electrolytes, blood glucose, ketones, complete blood count, liver function tests, renal function tests 1.
  • Grading: Use of the logistic organ dysfunction system (LODS) score to assess severity and predict prognosis 2.
  • Management

  • First-Line Treatments: Fluid resuscitation, insulin therapy to correct hypoglycemia, correction of electrolyte imbalances 1.
  • Adjunctive Treatments: Address underlying sepsis with appropriate antibiotics; nutritional support; monitoring and management of organ dysfunction 1.
  • Specific Interventions: No specific drug doses mentioned, but close monitoring of serum albumin and LDH levels is crucial 2.
  • Special Populations

  • Comorbidities: Patients with sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome require intensive care management 1.
  • No Specific Data: Limited information on pregnancy, pediatrics, or elderly populations from provided abstracts 12.
  • Key Recommendations

  • Utilize the logistic organ dysfunction system (LODS) score to predict prognosis and guide management intensity in patients with alcoholic ketoacidosis (Evidence: Moderate) 2.
  • Implement aggressive fluid resuscitation and insulin therapy to manage metabolic acidosis and hypoglycemia in AKA (Evidence: Weak) 1.
  • Closely monitor serum albumin and LDH levels as they are independently associated with survival outcomes in AKA patients (Evidence: Moderate) 2.
  • References

    1 Roy N, Roy I. Successfully managed alcoholic ketoacidosis with sepsis leading to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome: a case report. Folia medica 2024. link 2 Jang HN, Park HJ, Cho HS, Bae E, Lee TW, Chang SH et al.. The logistic organ dysfunction system score predicts the prognosis of patients with alcoholic ketoacidosis. Renal failure 2018. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
    2. [2]
      The logistic organ dysfunction system score predicts the prognosis of patients with alcoholic ketoacidosis.Jang HN, Park HJ, Cho HS, Bae E, Lee TW, Chang SH et al. Renal failure (2018)

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