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Podcast: Inside EMS
Episode: Not your average sugar rush: EMS strategies for DKA
Description: This week on the Inside EMS podcast, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson tackle a metabolic monster that every EMS provider needs to master: diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). They kick off with a common (but critical) 911 scenario: a 19-year-old with a history of Type 1 diabetes, confusion, vomiting and a blood sugar of 500. Sound familiar?
Kelly dives into the physiology of DKA, explaining how glucose can be sky-high while cells starve, triggering fat breakdown and ketone production that spirals into life-threatening acidosis. The hosts hit the must-know pathophysiology, signs and symptoms (hello, Kussmaul breathing!), and what providers often miss — li...