Misdiagnosis of Diabetic Ketoacidosis as Pneumonia in a Ghanaian Teenager: A Case Report

Wrongly diagnosing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) among children and adolescents with diabetes, by doctors and other health workers, is often seen in clinical practice in Ghana although not much is reported in the literature. It occurs at primary, secondary and tertiary care settings and among all grades of health practitioners. This is due to low level of awareness among health care practitioners and the community. Besides, clinical features of DKA mimic many infections which are more frequently seen in hospitals in Ghana than diabetes. It is, therefore, paramount that every child or adolescent presenting to a health facility with any acute disease to warrant admission is investigated, as well, for diabetes irrespective of the working diagnosis.

Author(s): Emmanuel Ameyaw* and Rita Ameyaw

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