Dapagliflozin-induced Late-onset Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Abstract

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of oral hypoglycemics that improve glycemic control by increasing the urinary excretion of glucose. They gained widespread popularity because they not only showed improved glycemic control but also had a favorable effect on weight loss, blood pressure, and cardiovascular mortality. One of their rare side effects is euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (eDKA) although the diagnosis is sometimes difficult to make due to near-normal glucose levels. We present a case of eDKA in a patient who presented with confusion, acute kidney injury (AKI), and metabolic acidosis after having an influenza-like illness with a minimally elevated blood glucose of 187 mg/dL. She had already stopped taking dapagliflozin (an SGLT-2 inhibitor) two weeks before the presentation. She was initially treated as sepsis and required hemodialysis. Later on, metabolic acidosis was attributed to eDKA from dapagliflozin, which resolved after the administration of intravenous insulin. Her eDKA developed while she had already stopped dapagliflozin two weeks ago, which makes this an interesting case finding. It is one of those rare cases where dapagliflozin led to a delayed complication of eDKA.