Question

Skyler Hansen is an 18-year-old male diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 6 months ago. He was brought to the Emergency Department by his friends. The friends report that he started acting "weird" while they were playing basketball. He has not eaten anything for 5 hours. Skyler told them that he felt lightheaded and was going to lie down on the cement. They became nervous and decided to bring him in to the Emergency Department. The patient is drowsy, wakes with stimulus, has slurred speech, is diaphoretic, and is acting irrationally

1. What are you on alert for today with this patient?
2. Why is this important?
3. What are the important assessments to make?
4. Why are these assessments important
5. What complications may occur?
6. What could go wrong
7. Relate the assessment data to the potential complications that may occur.
8. What interventions will prevent complications?
9. How will the interventions prevent complications?  

Answer 1

As the patient is having diabetes Mellitus type 1, The first thing that alerts to do the staff is checking the blood sugar level. In this disease condition, there is an increase in blood sugar but because of the treatment it nay leads to excessive down of blood glucose level than normal

It is important to check the glucose level because the symptoms are same as hypoglycemia and he has not taken for 5 hours. Maybe he did not take anything after insulin injection.

The important assessment to test the blood sugar level and mental status examination. This assessment is needed to do because The low level of blood sugar may alter the mental status of the person. Same for the patient also having wake with stimuli, slurred speech, drowsiness. This will helps to understand the level of consciousness and orientation to the environment.

The complication that may occur are neuroglycopenia which is occurs due to lack of glucose in the brain leads to decrease gradually the cognitive function slurred speech, confusion, seizure, coma

if not treated on time, the patient already started with the symptom of slurred speech, loss of consciousness. The potential complication is neuroglycopenia then seizure and coma at last death.

The intervention that can be done immediately to prevent the complication is to insert iv cannula and start giving a 50% dextrose bolus and continues destrose infusion. Onserve the patient closely and check the blood glucose level every hourly.

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