6844 Comparison of Lactated Ringers and Normal Saline in the Treatment of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Abstract Disclosure: J.N. Johnson: None. A.T. Drincic: None. K. Nein: None. E. Buddenhagen: None. K. Samson: None. T. Langenhan: None. Background: Current guidelines recommend normal saline (NS) for fluid resuscitation in the management of patients presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). However, previous prospective studies have demonstrated improvement in patient specific outcomes, including time to DKA resolution, when balanced crystalloid fluids are used. We hypothesized that the use of LR compared to NS for volume management in DKA will shorten time to DKA resolution, reduce time to DKA associated protocol insulin infusion discontinuation, and result in lower post-intravenous fluid resuscitation chloride values. Methods: We conducted a single institution, retrospective cohort study of patients admitted with the diagnosis of DKA following our institution’s transition from NS to lactated ringers (LR) as the default resuscitative and maintenance fluid in our DKA management protocol. Adult patients admitted with DKA before and after the protocol change were identified. The primary outcome was time from DKA clinical presentation until DKA resolution. The secondary outcome was time to discontinuation of DKA protocol continuous insulin infusion. Results: Of 246 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 119 were stratified to the NS group (pre-protocol change) and 127 to the LR group (post-protocol change). T-test analysis revealed decreased time to DKA resolution in the LR group (mean 17.1 hours; SD 11.02) relative to the NS group (mean 20.6 hours; SD 12.22; p = .02). Duration of DKA protocol continuous intravenous insulin was shorter in the LR group (mean 16.0 hours; SD 8.72) compared to the NS group (mean 21.4 hours; SD 12.50; p = 0.0001). Conclusions: In this retrospective cohort study, protocolized DKA intravenous fluid management with LR resulted in shorter time to resolution of DKA and reduced duration of DKA protocol continuous insulin infusion. Presentation: 6/2/2024