| The Home page of ILPI's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Resource, the leader in SDS information since 1995! | |
| The history and philosophy behind this resource. | |
| A curated collection of books and reference materials concerning Safety Data Sheets and closely related topics. | |
| Paste your plain text SDS into the SDS-Demystifier, and it will be converted into a hypertext-enriched document with links to detailed explanations of each key term. | |
| An extensive list of frequently asked questions about Safety Data Sheets including regulations, content, compliance, and more. | |
| A humorous take on Safety Data Sheet jargon. Fill in the blanks on our entry form to generate a personalized Unsafety Data Sheet to share with your coworkers. | |
| Since 1995, we've maintained this massive curated list of the best places to find Safety Data Sheets on the Internet. | |
| You are here! Way more than a glossary, this hypertext-enhanced resource covers hundreds of SDS-related terms and expert knowledge. Each entry includes both the SDS relevance and links to additional authoritative resources. | |
| Archived results of Safety Data Sheet related polls taken by some of our millions of site visitors | |
| The OSHA regulations behind SDS regulations, including the inspection guidelines and over 400 official interpretations letters under the Hazard Communication Standard | |
| Commercial suppliers of SDS authoring and management software as well as cloud compliance services. | |
| Commercial companies that will create SDS's for your specific needs as well as SDS translation companies. |
Safety signs, banners, and scoreboards? Get yours at Safety Emporium!
Ketosis
Definition
- Ketosis is the presence of excess ketones in the body and may also appear as the term dietary ketosis (more below). Ketosis is generally not life-threatening.
- Ketoacidosis is a severe form of ketosis. The term may appear in reference to diabetes, as diabetic ketoacidosis or the consumption of too much alcohol as alcoholic ketoacidosis. Such cases can have serious health effects, particularly if the ketoacidosis goes untreated for long periods of time.
Consult our more extensive discussion of ketones for details on their chemical structure, naming and more.
Additional Info
Get your GHS-compliant labels and signs from Safety Emporium.
Ketones are a normal byproduct of fat metabolism (the breaking down of fat into energy). Normally, your body is efficient at removing these, but when certain enzymes are absent or damaged, the concentration of ketones in the body can build up. Ketosis indicates a blood ketone concentration between 0.3 and 7.0 mmol/L and ketoacidosis reflects levels of 7.0 mmol/L or higher. Ketoacidosis gets its name because high blood ketone levels lower the pH of your blood to 7.3 or lower. Severe and/or prolonged cases of ketoacidosis can lead to coma and death if not properly treated.
Certain individuals are predisposed towards ketosis or ketoacidosis. For example, those with diabetes have insufficient insulin levels and their bodies have difficulty processing glucose (sugar). If a diabetic does not alter his or her diet to reduce sugar intake and/or take additional insulin, their body will break down fat, leading to a rise in ketone levels. The complexities of diabetes and ketoacidosis are beyond the scope of this discussion; see the links under Further Reading for more information.
Popular low-carbohydrate diets (such as Atkins) encourage the breakdown of fat and can induce so-called dietary ketosis, but this condition is generally not harmful provided the individual is otherwise healthy and stays well-hydrated.
Ketones can be excreted through the urine and those that are volatile (such as acetone) can be expelled through the lungs. Diabetics can be mistaken for being drunk by the odor on their breath, and acetone being expelled through the lungs can give a false positive result on early model breathalyzers. However, don't expect to escape a ticket as driving while impaired (due to low blood sugar) is still a traffic offense whether you are drunk or not.
SDS Relevance
This guide to safer laboratories and maker spaces is just one of many lab and safety items available at Safety Emporium.
This term is mostly likely to appear on a Safety Data Sheet as a symptom of exposure, particularly by ingestion as well as inhalation. Certain chemicals can directly or indirectly cause the formation of excess ketones in the body. This should appear as a symptom of exposure under Section 11 (toxicological information) of the SDS.
Understand the dangers of the chemicals you are working with by carefully reading the labels and SDS sheets before you begin work. Section 8 (exposure controls/personal protection) of the SDS will suggest proper precautions when working with a particular substance.
Further Reading
- Diabetic ketoacidosis and alcoholic ketoacidosis in the Merck Manual Professional version.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis at the NIH/NLM's MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia.
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Complications at MedicineNet.
- What Are Ketones, and Why Are They Important? at Healthgrades.
- The American Diabetes Association.
See also: alcohol, chemical formula, ketone.