Diabetic Coma versus Diabetic Nephropathy

Abstract

DIABETIC nephropathy has become the most serious late complication of childhood diabetes. After ten or more years of imperfect control, diabetes is accompanied by edema, albuminuria, hypertension, retinitis and finally uremia. The characteristic findings in the kidneys are arteriolosclerosis, particularly of the afferent arterioles, intercapillary glomerulosclerosis (Kimmelstiel-Wilson), pyelonephritis, generalized arteriosclerosis and usually some lesions of glomerulonephritis. Diabetic coma or severe acidosis has usually occurred one or more times during the earlier years of the patient's diabetes. The development of excessive ketone bodies in the blood and the characteristic air hunger, dehydration, acidosis and shock characterize diabetic coma in contrast to . . .