Testing for ketones
Your body may produce chemicals called ketones when you don't have enough insulin to get the glucose out of your blood and into your cells.
One way for the cells to get fuel for energy in the absence of glucose is to break down fat or other tissues. Ketones are a product of this breakdown process. This happens mainly in people with type 1 diabetes.
Ketones are more likely to occur in people with type 1 diabetes. Check for ketones if your blood glucose is over 240 mg/dL, and also wheneer you are sick. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have a positive ketone test result and don't know what to do.
High blood glucose levels with ketones can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This is a serious medical condition that must be treated immediately. Although it often develops slowly, when vomiting occurs, life-threatening ketoacidosis can develop within a matter of a few hours. If you have any symptoms of ketoacidosis, check for ketones, and call your healthcare provider right away or go to the closest hospital emergency room.
