Departments

Gastroparesis

Amos Lal, MD, Pantea Ebrahimpour, MD and Nitin Trivedi, MD, FACP, FACE
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine August 2019, 86 (8) 514; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.86c.08001

TO THE EDITOR: We read with great pleasure the article by Sharayah et al about acute gastro-paresis in a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis.1 However, in the case description, the authors reached a diagnosis of gastroparesis secondary to diabetic ketoacidosis without aptly ruling out some of its most common causes such as hypokalemia and other electrolyte imbalances seen in diabetic patients (in the setting of recurrent vomiting).

The authors also did not include the patient’s duration of diabetes or hemoglobin A1c level, both of which are linked with gastroparesis in diabetic patients.2 Pertinent biochemical information that can help readers formulate a rational approach and journey to making a diagnosis appears elusive in their article.

REFERENCES

    1. Sharayah AM,
    2. Hajjaj N,
    3. Osman R and
    4. Livornese D
    . Gastroparesis in a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis. Cleve Clin J Med 2019; 86(4):238–239 doi:10.3949/ccjm.86a.18116
    1. Bharucha AE,
    2. Kudva Y,
    3. Basu A, et al
    . Relationship between glycemic control and gastric emptying in poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015; 13(3):466–476.e461. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2014.06.034