Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). It occurs due to a decrease in the level of insulin and an increase in the level of glucose in the blood, which makes cells unable to use glucose as an energy source and begin to break fat into ketones; an overload of ketones levels in the blood can lead to DKA. The aim of the study is to assess awareness of DKA among diabetic patients and their caregivers in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study collected through an online questionnaire of diabetic patients and their caregivers in Makkah City. A self-reported questionnaire designed in Arabic and English through the use of Google Forms, it distributed electronically via social media to the target population with the objectives of the survey. RESULTS: A total of 400 participants were included, 73% of them were males, while 27% were females. A 9% of the participants have been diagnosed with DKA. A high awareness level about DKA was found in 32.5% of participants, while 67.5% had a poor awareness level. Factors associated with a high level of awareness towards DKA are young age, being single, students and having a previous DKA diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Regarding our participants who have poor awareness of DKA, further education for diabetic patients and their caregivers about DKA is crucial to prevent life-threatening complications, and improve quality of life for these patients.