Ketogenic Diet and Modified Ketogenic Diet Clinical Pathway

Pathway Background and Objectives

Ketogenic and modified ketogenic diets are high fat, low carbohydrate diets used as evidence-based treatment for intractable seizures. These pathways were developed to aid with initiation of these diets for established neurology patients at Connecticut Children’s. Initiation of the diets can be complicated, and can lead to need for medical assessments and interventions to treat dehydration and hypoglycemia. These pathways help to decrease unnecessary variation of care and help to promote safe, effective, standardized and consistent care for all patients who are starting a ketogenic or modified ketogenic diet.

Specifically, the objectives of these pathways are to:

  • Establish medical and safety standards of care for the initiation of the ketogenic diet and modified ketogenic diet
  • Standardize the diet education for the caregivers
  • Promote improved tolerance to the ketogenic diets, with fewer side effects
  • Educate medical staff on ketogenic diets as treatment for seizures

Algorithm  Modified Algorithm  Educational Module

Ketogenic Diet

  • Percentage of patients who tolerate the diet by day 3
  • Percentage of patients with education completed by day 3
  • Percentage of patients discharged by day 3

Modified Ketogenic:

  • Percentage of patients with glucose >50 for all 3 days
  • Percentage of patients with development of diarrhea
  • Percentage of patients with development of vomiting
  • Percentage of patients with education completed by day 3
  • Jennifer Madan Cohen, MD
  • Jamie Cubanski, RN
  • Beth Chatfield, RD

The clinical pathways in the above links have been developed specifically for use at Connecticut Children’s and are made available publicly for informational and/or educational purposes only. The clinical pathways are not intended to be, nor are they, a substitute for individualized professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Although Connecticut Children’s makes all efforts to ensure the accuracy of the posted content, Connecticut Children’s makes no warranty of any kind as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or its fitness for use at any particular facility or in any individual case.