A patient with diabetic ketoacidosis may present with which respiratory pattern?

In cases of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), patients often exhibit a respiratory pattern characterized by deep and rapid breathing, known as Kussmaul respiration. This respiratory response is the body’s attempt to compensate for metabolic acidosis, which occurs due to the accumulation of ketones in the blood. The increased respiratory rate and depth help to exhale excess carbon dioxide, effectively raising the pH of the blood toward normal levels.

The deep and rapid breathing pattern is a physiological response to the acidosis, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide levels and mitigate the acid-base imbalance. This is particularly important because the acidotic condition is directly tied to the metabolic derangements that occur during episodes of DKA.

Other respiratory patterns mentioned are not typically associated with DKA; for example, shallow and slow breathing would not effectively address metabolic acidosis, and labored or irregular breathing is more indicative of other respiratory distress conditions rather than the metabolic compensation seen in DKA. Normal and steady breathing does not reflect the body’s response to the distress caused by acidosis. Therefore, the characteristic deep and rapid respiratory pattern is a clear indicator of the body's attempt to correct the acidotic state in diabetic ketoacidosis.