Which respiratory pattern is typically seen in a patient experiencing diabetic coma due to diabetic ketoacidosis?

Which respiratory pattern is typically seen in a patient experiencing diabetic coma due to diabetic ketoacidosis?

• A. Flushed dry warm skin
• B. Slow, shallow breathing
• C. Kussmaul respirations
• D. Normal mental status

Answer: (C)

In diabetic ketoacidosis, the body develops metabolic acidosis from the buildup of ketones. To compensate, the respiratory system increases ventilation to blow off CO2, raising pH toward normal. This compensation shows up as Kussmaul respirations—deep, rapid, and laborious breaths with a steady rhythm, often described as “air hunger.” It’s the classic breathing pattern you’d expect in a patient with DKA-related coma. Other options don’t fit this pattern. Slow, shallow breathing wouldn’t effectively reduce acidosis, and a coma with normal breathing would not reflect the compensatory hyperventilation seen in DKA. Flushed, dry skin indicates dehydration rather than a specific respiratory pattern.

In diabetic ketoacidosis, the body develops metabolic acidosis from the buildup of ketones. To compensate, the respiratory system increases ventilation to blow off CO2, raising pH toward normal. This compensation shows up as Kussmaul respirations—deep, rapid, and laborious breaths with a steady rhythm, often described as “air hunger.” It’s the classic breathing pattern you’d expect in a patient with DKA-related coma.

Other options don’t fit this pattern. Slow, shallow breathing wouldn’t effectively reduce acidosis, and a coma with normal breathing would not reflect the compensatory hyperventilation seen in DKA. Flushed, dry skin indicates dehydration rather than a specific respiratory pattern.