ketonuria
Noun A medical condition characterized by the presence of excessive amounts of ketone bodies (such as acetone, acetoacetic acid, and beta-hydroxybutyric acid) in the urine. It is a sign that the body is breaking down fat for energy instead of using glucose, often due to a lack of insulin or insufficient carbohydrate intake.
Ketonuria is primarily used in medical and clinical contexts. It is a diagnostic finding, not a disease itself, indicating an underlying metabolic state. - It is commonly associated with diabetes mellitus, especially diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). - It can also occur during starvation, fasting, or very low-carbohydrate diets (e.g., ketogenic diets). - The term is used by healthcare professionals when discussing lab results, patient symptoms, or metabolic conditions.
- The urinalysis revealed ketonuria, prompting the doctor to check the patient's blood glucose levels immediately.
- During prolonged fasting, mild ketonuria is a common and expected finding.
- The nurse documented the presence of ketonuria in the patient's chart as a sign of possible diabetic ketoacidosis.
- Pathophysiological Context: Ketonuria occurs when the liver produces ketone bodies faster than peripheral tissues can oxidize them, leading to their spillage into the urine. It is a key laboratory marker for monitoring metabolic control in type 1 diabetes.
- Quantification: While often reported qualitatively (e.g., "trace," "moderate," "large"), it can be quantified in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) via laboratory testing.
- Ketonemia (noun): The presence of excessive ketone bodies in the . Ketonuria often follows ketonemia.
- Ketoacidosis (noun): A serious, acute medical condition characterized by high levels of ketones and acid in the blood, of which ketonuria is a symptom.
- Acetonuria (noun): A historical or more specific term sometimes used synonymously with ketonuria, though it technically refers only to acetone in the urine.
- Acetonuria (though less precise)
- Keto bodies in urine (descriptive phrase)
Ketonuria specifically refers to the excretion of ketones in the urine. It is a symptom or sign of an altered metabolic state. It does not describe the condition causing it (e.g., diabetes, starvation) but is a consequence of that condition.
- excessive amounts of ketone bodies in the urine as in diabetes mellitus or starvation