Detection of Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis During Thoracic Surgery 75 Hours After Empagliflozin Discontinuation

Abstract

Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (eDKA) has been increasingly reported as an adverse event of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and the accompanying information on the drug recommends discontinuation three days prior to scheduled surgery. We present a case of a 50-year-old woman who developed eDKA during surgery for a metastatic lung tumor 75 hours after discontinuing SGLT2i. In this case, the onset of eDKA was detected using intraoperative blood gas analysis and urinary ketone measurements. Hence, perioperative eDKA can occur even after three or more days of SGLT2i withdrawal.