Hyperosmolar, hyperglycemic, nonketotic diabetic coma is a medical emergency characterized by extreme serum hyperosmolarity, dehydration and hyperglycemia in the absence of ketosis and acidosis. Typically, it occures in pateints between 50 and 70 years of age with no history of diabetes mellitus or with mild adult-onset diabetes2,7,8) The pathogenesis of the syndrome has not been elucidated to date and its survival rate is low (40 to 60 percent).
Except a case report by Toh et al. 9) and review of literatures, very little attention has been paid to the subject in Korea. -Recently the authors experienced three cases of hyperglycemic hyperosmolar coma with or without ketosis´ over -three month period in St. Mary´s Hospital, the, Catholic Medical College. The importance of this entity, its diagnosis and its treatment with water by naogastric tube prompted us to report the cases.
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