What life-threatening condition might develop if someone with diabetes goes too long without insulin?

• A. Hyperglycemic crisis
• B. Ketoacidosis
• C. Diabetic coma
• D. Hypoglycemic shock

Answer: (C)

When insulin is missing, glucose cannot enter cells, so blood glucose rises even though cells are starved for energy. The body responds by producing more glucose and by breaking down fats, which releases ketone bodies. Those ketones create a metabolic acidosis, and dehydration plus electrolyte imbalances from the high blood glucose worsen the situation. As this metabolic crisis worsens, consciousness can be lost, leading to a diabetic coma. This end-stage state best captures the severe, life-threatening consequence of prolonged insulin deficiency. The other terms describe parts of the problem or different states (high glucose alone, the acidity from ketones, or low blood sugar), but the coma reflects the actual dangerous clinical outcome that can follow untreated insulin deficiency.