Objectives: To determine whether basal-bolus administration of glargine insulin is a safe and effective alternative treatment compared to the standard continuous rate infusion (CRI) protocol.
Design: Prospective randomized clinical trial.
Setting: University teaching hospital.
Animals: Twenty cats diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
Interventions: The cats were block-randomized to either a CRI protocol using regular insulin (CRI-group; n = 10) or a basal-bolus SC and IM glargine protocol (glargine-group, n = 10). Baseline blood gases, electrolytes, glucose, and β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) concentrations were measured at the time of admission and later at predefined intervals until reaching the primary endpoint of the study, defined as a β-hydroxybutyrate concentration < 2.55 mmol/L.
Measurements and main results: The main outcome measure was time (h) to resolution of ketonemia. Secondary outcome measures were time until first improvement of hyperglycemia and ketonemia, decrease of glucose to ≤13.9 mmol/L (250 mg/dL), resolution of acidosis, consumption of first meal, and discharge from hospital. Additionally, occurrence of treatment-associated adverse events and death were compared. Seventeen cats (85%) survived to discharge, with no difference in survival between groups (P = 1.0). Median times to β-OHB < 2.55 mmol/L were 42 (CRI-group) and 30 (glargine-group) hours, respectively (P = 0.114). Median times to first improvement of hyperglycemia (glargine-group: 2 h; CRI-group: 6 h; P = 0.018) and until discharge from hospital (glargine-group: 140 h; CRI-group: 174 h; P = 0.033) were significantly shorter in the glargine-group. No significant differences were observed in any other parameter under investigation (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Basal-bolus administration of glargine insulin appears to be an effective and safe alternative to the current standard CRI-protocol for the management of DKA in cats. The positive outcomes and simplicity make it a viable option for the treatment of feline DKA.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus; intramuscular; potassium; saline; β-hydroxybutyrate.
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society.