Ketoacidosis occurs due to the deficient intake of:

IGNOU PB. Bsc. Nsg. Entrance-2025

Biochemistry & Nutrition

Easy

Appeared in: IGNOU PB. Bsc. Nsg. Entrance-2025

Explanation

Ketoacidosis results from a catabolic state where the body, deprived of its primary energy source (carbohydrates), switches to breaking down fats for fuel.
This process, known as lipolysis, generates a large volume of fatty acids.
The liver converts these fatty acids into ketone bodies (acetoacetic acid and β-hydroxybutyric acid).
These ketone bodies are acidic, and their accumulation in the blood overwhelms the body's buffering capacity, leading to a drop in pH, which is defined as metabolic acidosis.

Option B: A deficient intake of fat does not cause ketoacidosis. In fact, it is the excessive breakdown of the body's own stored fat that is the source of the ketones.
Option C: While protein can be broken down for energy (gluconeogenesis) during prolonged starvation, a deficient intake of protein is not the primary trigger for ketoacidosis.
Option D: Minerals are inorganic micronutrients essential for enzymatic reactions, nerve function, and fluid balance, but they are not a source of energy and their deficiency does not alter macronutrient metabolism in a way that causes ketoacidosis.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pathophysiology of Ketoacidosis as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Ketoacidosis is a life-threatening emergency, most commonly seen in patients with Type 1 Diabetes (Diabetic Ketoacidosis or DKA), but can also occur during prolonged starvation, alcoholism, or with very low-carbohydrate diets.
Nurses must be able to recognize the signs of ketoacidosis: fruity-scented breath (due to acetone), Kussmaul respirations (deep, rapid breathing), nausea, vomiting, and altered mental status.
Key nursing interventions for DKA include administering IV fluids to correct dehydration, starting an insulin infusion to stop ketone production and lower blood glucose, and closely monitoring electrolytes, especially potassium.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is the metabolic cause of ketoacidosis.
Recall the body's preferred order of energy sources: carbohydrates are primary, followed by fats, and then proteins.
Reason that if the primary source (carbohydrate) is deficient, the body must switch to the secondary source (fat).
Connect the breakdown of fat (lipolysis) to the production of its byproducts, which are ketones.
Conclude that a deficiency in carbohydrate intake is the trigger for the entire process that leads to ketoacidosis.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QmrGObG9xpWqK3sNgeasDX

E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e p. 343-345

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 561-563

E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 1105-1107