A Complicated Triad of Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Hypertriglyceridemia, and Acute Pancreatitis in a Patient With Alcohol Abuse and Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus

Cureus. 2024 Dec 9;16(12):e75418. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75418. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hypertriglyceridemia, and acute pancreatitis are a rare and potentially fatal triad. This article presents a fatal case of acute pancreatitis, DKA, and hypertriglyceridemia in a patient with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus struggling with alcoholism. The patient was unresponsive to standard pancreatitis and DKA treatment protocol and progressed to develop multi-organ failure. Despite best efforts, the patient expired on day five of admission.

Keywords: alcohol use disorder; dka; hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis; triad; undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Publication types

  • Case Reports