Which complication is commonly associated with high anion gap metabolic acidosis?

High anion gap metabolic acidosis is frequently associated with specific conditions, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most notable among them. DKA is a severe complication of diabetes, particularly Type 1, and is characterized by the accumulation of ketone bodies in the blood, leading to an increase in acidity. This results in a high anion gap, as the presence of unmeasured anions (such as acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate) effectively raises the anion gap.

In the context of metabolic acidosis, the "anion gap" is a measurement that helps to identify the underlying cause. A high anion gap indicates a greater concentration of unmeasured anions, which is what occurs in DKA due to the production of these acidic metabolites. This condition usually arises in the absence of insulin, leading to lipolysis and ketogenesis, causing not only the high anion gap but also significant metabolic derangements.

While cardiac arrest, seizures, and acute renal failure can be serious complications in various contexts of metabolic acidosis, they are not specifically characteristic of high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Instead, DKA holds a significant association as it directly causes the metabolic changes measured