The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of ICU
admissions with a primary diagnosis of DKA, defined as a proportion
(no. of cases per number of individual admissions) and as the number
of cases per 1000 ICU admissions. Secondary outcomes were shortterm
(ICU/hospital) and long-term (90-day and 1-year) mortality,
ICU/hospital lengths of stay, changes in Sequential Organ Failure
Assessment (SOFA) scores during the first 3 days in the ICU, and
measures of treatment intensity (ie, mechanical ventilation [MV],
vasoactive therapy, and renal replacement therapy [RRT]). Because all
ICUs in Edmonton are closed units, the decision on patients' admission
and intensity of treatment during ICU stay is done at the discretion of
intensive care–trained physicians.