Patient's question:
Why was there high ketones in the urine test three days after taking emergency contraception?Doctor's answer:
The ketones in urine are a combination of three different components: acetone, acetoacetate, and β-hydroxybutyrate. They are intermediate products of fat metabolism in the body. Under normal circumstances, they are produced in very small amounts and cannot be detected by our current routine methods, so the qualitative test for normal individuals is negative. However, during starvation, various conditions that cause impaired glucose metabolism and increased fat breakdown, as well as diabetic ketoacidosis, the production of ketones exceeds the rate at which they are utilized by tissues, leading to ketosis and subsequently ketonuria with a positive ketone test.1. In diabetic patients and during diabetic ketoacidosis, the test may show strong positive results (+++ or higher). This should be a cause for concern, as it increases the risk of toxic coma, and timely treatment measures should be taken.
2. Severe vomiting, diarrhea, long-term malnutrition, starvation, and after intense exercise.