Tips For Diabetic Home Care and Monitoring

Ketone Testing

Those with Type 1 diabetes are required to test for ketones, which are produced upon fasting or as a result of too little insulin. This is an important part of at-home monitoring because the detection of ketones alerts a diabetic that he or she has diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and needs insulin. If the condition is serious, a person can lose consciousness. Very few people, about 0.1 percent of people with DKA die from it, but the risk is there.