Chapter 17.

When assessing an unconscious diabetic patient, the primary visible difference between hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia is the:

rate and depth of breathing.

A 30-year-old female presents with severe acute pain to the left upper quadrant of her abdomen. During your assessment, she tells you that she has sickle cell disease. You should suspect that:

her spleen is enlarged because of red blood cell engorgement.

A 28-year-old female patient is found to be responsive to verbal stimuli only. Her roommate states that she was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and has had difficulty controlling her blood sugar level. She further tells you that the patient has been urinating excessively and has progressively worsened over the last 24 to 36 hours. On the basis of this patient’s clinical presentation, you should suspect that she:

is significantly hyperglycemic.

Which of the following statements regarding diabetic coma is correct?

Diabetic coma typically develops over a period of hours or days.

The normal blood glucose level, as measured by a glucometer, is between:

80 and 120 mg/dL.

Hemoglobin is:

found within the red blood cells and is responsible for carrying oxygen

A 75-year-old male with type 1 diabetes presents with chest pain and a general feeling of weakness. He tells you that he took his insulin today and ate a regular meal approximately 2 hours ago. You should treat this patient as though he is experiencing:

a heart attack.

An acute accelerated drop in the hemoglobin level, which is caused by red blood cells breaking down at a faster rate than normal, occurs during a(n) __________ crisis.

hemolytic

Kussmaul respirations are an indication that the body is

attempting to eliminate acids from the blood.

During your assessment of a 19-year-old male, you are told that he is being treated with factor VIII. This indicates that:

he has hemophilia A.

Patients with uncontrolled diabetes experience polyuria because:

excess glucose in the blood is excreted by the kidneys.

Ketone production is the result of:

fat metabolization when glucose is unavailable.

Glutose is a trade name for:

oral glucose.

Insulin functions in the body by:

enabling glucose to enter the cells.

A 42-year-old male is found unresponsive on his couch by a neighbor. During your assessment, you find no signs of trauma and the patient’s blood glucose level is 75 mg/dL. His blood pressure is 168/98 mm Hg, his heart rate is 45 beats/min and bounding, and his respirations are 8 breaths/min and irregular. The patient is wearing a medical alert bracelet that states he has hemophilia. You should:

suspect that he has intracranial bleeding, assist his ventilations, and transport rapidly to an appropriate hospital.

Which of the following conditions is the diabetic patient at an increased risk of developing?

blindness

A man finds his 59-year-old wife unconscious on the couch. He states that she takes medications for type 2 diabetes. He further tells you that his wife has been ill recently and has not eaten for the past 24 hours. Your primary assessment reveals that the patient is unresponsive and not breathing. You should

check for a carotid pulse for no longer than 10 seconds.

Diabetic coma is a life-threatening condition that results from:

hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, and dehydration.

You are treating a 40-year-old male with a documented blood sugar reading of 300 mg/dL. The patient is semiconscious and breathing shallowly, and is receiving assisted ventilation from your partner. You should recognize that definitive treatment for this patient includes:

insulin.

Glipizide, a non-insulin-type medication, is another name for:

Glucotrol.

Ketone production is the result of

fat metabolization when glucose is unavailable.

Diabetes is MOST accurately defined as a(n):

disorder of carbohydrate metabolism.

Hypoglycemic crisis tends to develop more often and more severely in children because:

they do not always eat correctly and on schedule

Type 1 diabetes

is a condition in which no insulin is produced by the body.

Common signs and symptoms of diabetic coma include all of the following, EXCEPT:

cool, clammy skin.

Diabetes is MOST accurately defined as a(n)

disorder of carbohydrate metabolism.

When obtaining a SAMPLE history from a patient with diabetes, it would be MOST
important to determine:

if he or she has had any recent illnesses or excessive stress.

Patients with thrombophilia are at an increased risk for:

pulmonary embolism.

Excessive eating caused by cellular "hunger" is called:

polyphagia.

A man finds his 59-year-old wife unconscious on the couch. He states that she takes medications for type 2 diabetes. He further tells you that his wife has been ill recently and has not eaten for the past 24 hours. Your primary assessment reveals that the patient is unresponsive and not breathing. You should:

check for a carotid pulse for no longer than 10 seconds.

The signs and symptoms of insulin shock are the result of:

decreased blood glucose levels.

To which of the following diabetic patients should you administer oral glucose?

a confused 55-year-old male with tachycardia and pallor

Classic signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include

cool, clammy skin; weakness; tachycardia; and rapid respirations.