The following conditions will cause elevated serum ketones:
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
Starvation ketosis
Isopropyl alcohol ingestion
Salicylate overdose
Pregnancy
Cortisol deficiency
Alcohol ketoacidosis
High-fat diet
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Hyperthyroidism
Inborn errors of metabolism (cystinuria)
Hypoglycemia
The following conditions spur false-positive results[4, 5] :
Parkinson medications
Ex-Lax use
Ketonemia
Hyperammonemia
Lactic acidosis
Hypoglycemia
Ketoacidosis
Hypernatremia
Hyponatremia
Hyperamylasemia