Two Bag System for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Overview

This is a study investigating the best way to treat diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with intravenous (IV) fluids in the hospital. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the "two bag" system of administering IV fluids for the treatment of adults with DKA leads to a shorter time requiring intravenous insulin (a shorter time to anion gap closure), when compared to usual care the traditional "one bag" system of IV fluids. Participants will be assigned randomly to either the usual care group or the "two bag" system group. Based on studies performed in the past, the investigators predict that patients treated with the two bag system of IV fluids for DKA will have a significantly shorter time requiring treatment with intravenous insulin when compared to the traditional one bag system.

Full Title of Study: “The “Two Bag” System for Treatment of Adults With Diabetic Ketoacidosis: a Prospective Randomized Study”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Treatment
    • Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: June 15, 2023

Detailed Description

The two bag system has been studied in the pediatric population and is used frequently in pediatric intensive care units. It involves two bags of identical fluids with electrolytes, except one bag has 0% dextrose and the other has 10% dextrose. The two fluid bags run simultaneously into a single IV. The rates of the two fluid bags are adjusted according to the patient's blood sugar. Since the hyperglycemia in DKA typically corrects before the ketosis, this provides a more efficient method of titrating the dextrose concentration based on the patient's needs, while continuing to infuse the insulin at a constant rate to prevent further ketogenesis. The benefits of the two bag system from the pediatric literature include: decreased response time to IV fluid changes, decreased time to correction of bicarbonate and ketones, and decreased total IV fluid volume administered. There was one retrospective study of the two bag system in adults, which showed decreased time to anion gap closure and decreased hypoglycemic events. To this date, there are no prospective randomized trials to evaluate the efficacy of the two bag system in adults. Patients admitted with DKA in the critical care pavilion will be randomized to either the "two bag system" or "usual care" group. Patients in both groups will be treated for DKA with IV fluid resuscitation for dehydration and an insulin infusion according to usual care, recommended at 0.1 U/kg/hr. The two bag system of IV fluids will be ordered as delineated below: If blood sugar is > 300, run D10 solution at 0 ml/hr and saline solution at 200 ml/hr. If blood sugar is 250-299, run D10 solution at 50 ml/hr and saline solution at 150 ml/hr. If blood sugar is 200-249, run D10 solution at 100 ml/hr and saline solution at 100 ml/hr. If blood sugar is 150-199, run D10 solution at 150 ml/hr and saline solution at 50 ml/hr. If blood sugar is < 150, run D10 solution at 200 ml/hr and saline solution at 0 ml/hr. The control group will be usual care of DKA based on the American Diabetes Association Guidelines using a "one bag system." In both groups, blood sugars will be checked every hour while on the insulin drip. A basic metabolic panel will be checked every 4 hours to monitor the anion gap. Once the anion gap is closed on two occasions and the subject is able to tolerate an enteral diet, the patient will be transitioned to subcutaneous insulin and insulin drip will be discontinued.

Interventions

  • Other: Two bag system
    • The two IV fluid bags have identical fluids and electrolytes, except one has 10% dextrose and the other has no dextrose. The two fluid bags run simultaneously and their rates are adjusted according to the patient’s blood sugar.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • No Intervention: Usual care
    • Usual care with a one bag system of IV fluids, as recommended in the American Diabetes Association consensus statement guidelines from 2009.
  • Experimental: Two bag system
    • A two bag system of IV fluids will be used during insulin infusion administration.

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Time to anion gap closure in hours
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Anion gap (Na – Cl – HCO3) is within normal range when corrected for the albumin (time to anion gap closure will be defined as the time to the first occurrence of a normal anion gap).

Secondary Measures

  • Hypoglycemic episodes
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Symptomatic episodes of hypoglycemia
  • Hypoxic events
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Desaturations less than 89% requiring supplemental oxygen
  • Pulmonary edema
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Pulmonary edema seen on either chest X-ray or with the change in the lung exam
  • Chest pain with EKG changes
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Onset of new chest pain with new EKG changes concerning for ischemia
  • Hyponatremia events
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Sodium values less than 135 mmol/L (corrected for glucose)
  • Hypokalemia events
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Potassium values less than 3.3 mmol/L
  • ICU length of stay
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Total time the patient was admitted in the stepdown unit and/or medical ICU
  • Changes in mental status
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Worsening in either CAM-ICU score or Glasgow Coma Scale
  • Total volume of intravenous fluids administered
    • Time Frame: During hospitalization
    • Total volume of intravenous fluids administered

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

1. Diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis defined as: 1. Blood sugar greater than 250 mg/dl 2. Venous pH less than 7.25 3. Bicarbonate less than 18 4. Evidence of ketone formation with either positive urine ketones or elevated beta-hydroxybutyrate > 3 5. Anion gap greater than 10 +/ – 2 (or higher than expected anion gap corrected for albumin) 2. 18-85 years of age Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnancy 2. Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state 3. Ketosis from other etiology such as starvation or alcoholic ketosis 4. Acute exacerbation of congestive heart failure 5. Acute coronary syndrome or non-ST elevation MI 6. Pulmonary edema from other cause such as decompensated liver failure or acute renal failure 7. Renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy (hemodialysis) 8. Septic shock

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 85 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: No

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • MetroHealth Medical Center
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Vidya Krishnan, Professor, Case Western Reserve University – MetroHealth Medical Center
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Vidya Krishnan, MD, Principal Investigator, MetroHealth Medical Center

References

Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Murphy MB, Kreisberg RA. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes: a consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2006 Dec;29(12):2739-48. doi: 10.2337/dc06-9916. No abstract available.

Grimberg A, Cerri RW, Satin-Smith M, Cohen P. The "two bag system" for variable intravenous dextrose and fluid administration: benefits in diabetic ketoacidosis management. J Pediatr. 1999 Mar;134(3):376-8. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(99)70469-5.

So TY, Grunewalder E. Evaluation of the two-bag system for fluid management in pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Apr;14(2):100-5. doi: 10.5863/1551-6776-14.2.100.

Munir I, Fargo R, Garrison R, Yang A, Cheng A, Kang I, Motabar A, Xu K, Loo LK, Kim DI. Comparison of a 'two-bag system' versus conventional treatment protocol ('one-bag system') in the management of diabetic ketoacidosis. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2017 Aug 11;5(1):e000395. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2017-000395. eCollection 2017.

Poirier MP, Greer D, Satin-Smith M. A prospective study of the "two-bag system'' in diabetic ketoacidosis management. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2004 Nov-Dec;43(9):809-13. doi: 10.1177/000992280404300904.

Clinical trials entries are delivered from the US National Institutes of Health and are not reviewed separately by this site. Please see the identifier information above for retrieving further details from the government database.

At TrialBulletin.com, we keep tabs on over 200,000 clinical trials in the US and abroad, using medical data supplied directly by the US National Institutes of Health. Please see the About and Contact page for details.