Diabetic Ketoacidosis with Lower-than-anticipated Glucose Levels, and Recalcitrant Metabolic Acidosis Requiring Rescue Hemodialysis in a Patient of COVID-19 Infection

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has stood out as a disease of great medical interest, influencing disease evolution, and severity of diabetes mellitus. The intersection of COVID-19 infection and diabetes mellitus has unmasked inflammation and critical metabolic disturbances. We deliberate the case of a young woman, with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who was hospitalized for COVID-19 infection. Work-up revealed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with lower-than-anticipated glucose levels, and acute metabolic acidosis. Refractoriness of metabolic acidosis to standard treatment required hemodialysis as a salvage therapy.