PERIOPERATIVE EUGLYCEMIC KETOACIDOSIS DESPITE DISCONTINUATION OF SGLT2 INHIBITORS: A REVIEW OF REPORTED CASES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5201Keywords:
SGLT2 Inhibitors, Perioperative Period, Surgery, Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis, euDKAAbstract
Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are increasingly used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. A rare but potentially life-threatening adverse effect is euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (euDKA), particularly in the perioperative setting.
Aim: To analyze reported cases of perioperative euDKA occurring despite preoperative discontinuation of SGLT2 inhibitors.
Material and Methods: A literature review of PubMed publications from February 2020 to January 2026 was conducted. Case reports and case series describing perioperative euDKA after prior discontinuation of SGLT2 inhibitors were included.
Results: Eight cases met the inclusion criteria. The duration of drug withdrawal ranged from 18 hours to 5 days before surgery. euDKA developed intraoperatively or in the early postoperative period and was characterized by high anion gap metabolic acidosis with normal or mildly elevated glucose levels. Six patients recovered, whereas two patients died.
Conclusions: Perioperative euDKA may occur despite adherence to current discontinuation guidelines. Ketone monitoring and heightened clinical vigilance are essential throughout the perioperative period.
References
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2026). Diabetes care in the hospital: Standards of care in diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care, 49(Supplement_1), S339–S355. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc26-S016
Kalra, S., Shetty, K. K., Nagarajan, V. B., & Ved, J. K. (2020). Basic and clinical pharmaco-therapeutics of SGLT2 inhibitors: A contemporary update. Diabetes Therapy, 11(4), 813–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-020-00789-y
Pabel, S., Hamdani, N., Luedde, M., & Sossalla, S. (2021). SGLT2 inhibitors and their mode of action in heart failure: Has the mystery been unravelled? Current Heart Failure Reports, 18(5), 315–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11897-021-00529-8
Selbie, J., Hiyama, S., & Pandit, H. (2025). Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and its prevention in elective surgical patients taking sodium-glucose linked transporter 2 inhibitors: An international perspective. Arthroplasty Today, 35, 101840. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artd.2025.101840
Patel, K., & Nair, A. (2022). A literature review of the therapeutic perspectives of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor-induced euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis. Cureus, 14(9), e29652. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.29652
Fonseca-Correa, J. I., & Correa-Rotter, R. (2021). Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors mechanisms of action: A review. Frontiers in Medicine, 8, 777861. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.777861
Dutta, S., Kumar, T., Singh, S., Ambwani, S., Charan, J., & Varthya, S. B. (2022). Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis associated with SGLT2 inhibitors: A systematic review and quantitative analysis. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 11(3), 927–940. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_644_21
Mueugesan, K. B., Balakrishnan, S., Arul, A., Ramalingam, S., & Srinivasan, M. (2022). A retrospective analysis of the incidence, outcome and factors associated with the occurrence of euglycemic ketoacidosis in diabetic patients on sodium glucose co-transporter–2 inhibitors undergoing cardiac surgery. Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia, 25(4), 460–465. https://doi.org/10.4103/aca.aca_47_21
Mehta, P. B., Robinson, A., Burkhardt, D., & Rushakoff, R. J. (2022). Inpatient perioperative euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis due to sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors: Lessons from a case series and strategies to decrease incidence. Endocrine Practice, 28(9), 884–888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eprac.2022.06.006
Romain, K. A., Cheng, J., Ho Luka Kim, S., Watters, K., & Theodoraki, A. (2025). Perioperative prevention of euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis in people living with type 2 diabetes established on sodium-glucose transport-2 inhibitors: A cross-site multi-cycle audit. Clinical Medicine, 25(5), 100502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinme.2025.100502
Bazan, D. Z., Esqueda, L., Ibrahim, A., Gonzalez, L., Skubic, J. J., Reilly, J., Cavazos, R., & Verduzco, R., Jr. (2025). Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis: A case series of three post-surgical patients. Cureus, 17(5), e84665. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.84665
Smith, A., Holtrop, J., & Sadoun, M. (2021). Post-operative euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis in a patient with SGLT-2 inhibitor use and recent sleeve gastrectomy. Cureus, 13(4), e14297. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.14297
Ritchie, D. T., & Dixon, J. (2022). SGLT-2 inhibitor associated euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis in an orthopaedic trauma patient. BMJ Case Reports, 15(9), e250233. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2022-250233
Castillo, D. P., Hall, L., Semthuran, S., Fox, E., Dash, S., & Heal, C. (2025). Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor-associated euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis in the emergency peri-operative period: A systematic review. Journal of Anesthesia, 39(6), 976–988. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00540-025-03570-2
Hoque, S., Longo, R., Teague, P., & Kim, E. (2025). A case of perioperative euglycemic ketoacidosis in a patient without diabetes: Are current guidelines enough? Perioperative Medicine, 14, 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13741-025-00548-2
Nishida, A., Ogawa, O., & Takizawa, H. (2022). Detection of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis during thoracic surgery 75 hours after empagliflozin discontinuation. Cureus, 14(10), e29974. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.29974
Osafehinti, D. A., Okoli, O. J., & Karam, J. G. (2020). A case of SGLT2 inhibitor-associated euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis following coronary artery bypass surgery. AACE Clinical Case Reports, 7(1), 20–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aace.2020.11.014
Chen, C. C., Feng, T. Y., Wang, S. C., Chen, T. H., Chou, S. J., & Jan, H. C. (2025). SGLT-2 inhibitor-induced euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis after laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy: A case report. International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, 128, 111006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijscr.2025.111006
Sitina, M., Lukes, M., & Sramek, V. (2023). Empagliflozin-associated postoperative mixed metabolic acidosis: Case report and review of pathogenesis. BMC Endocrine Disorders, 23, 81. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-023-01339-w
Bobba, S. S., Campbell, E., & Bril, F. (2025). Risk of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis can persist after discontinuation of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors. JCEM Case Reports, 3(12), luaf268. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcemcr/luaf268
Devkota, B., Maxwell, T., Schaedel, J., Wagner, B. M., Song, W., & Nooli, N. P. (2024). Intraoperative diagnosis of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor-associated euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis. Cureus, 16(10), e71931. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.71931
Wang, K. M., & Isom, R. T. (2020). SGLT2 inhibitor-induced euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis: A case report. Kidney Medicine, 2(2), 218–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xkme.2019.12.006
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Beata Flis, Martyna Iwanowska, Maciej Wojewódzki , Alicja Cyrzan, Małgorzata Styczyńska, Jakub Zbigniew Zalewski , Adam Zysk, Mateusz Ząbek , Bartosz Fronczak , Adrian Goss

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published in open-access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Hence, authors retain copyright to the content of the articles.
CC BY 4.0 License allows content to be copied, adapted, displayed, distributed, re-published or otherwise re-used for any purpose including for adaptation and commercial use provided the content is attributed.

