الملخص الإنجليزي
Objectives: Ramadan is the ninth month on the lunar calendar
and it is a holy month for Muslims during which all healthy adults
must fast from dawn to sunset. The risk of diabetic ketoacidosis
is thought to be higher during Ramadan fasting due to insulin
and glucagon alterations.
Methods: A descriptive retrospective analysis of the records of
all patients admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis to all Benghazi
hospitals during the lunar year 1428 Hijri (2007-2008).
Results: Fifteen episodes occurred during Ramadan compared to
a mean of 19.45 episodes/month during the other lunar months
(p<0.001), and there was no significant difference in the mean
age (37.6±10 vs. 38.3±19, p=0.8), mortality rate (13.3% vs.14.4%,
p=0.9) or in the length of hospitalization during Ramadan. The
commonest precipitating factor for diabetic ketoacidosis during
Ramadan was infection (46.6%) followed by miss dosing.
Conclusion: There was no increase in the incidence and mortality
from DKA during Ramadan which might indicate that Ramadan
fasting is not a significant risk factor for diabetic ketoacidosis.
