Question

Ashley Rodrigues, a 47-year-old overweight woman, has gradually increasing dyspnea and mild chest discomfort on exertion, fatigue, and weight gain. She has no children and is not now pregnant. Further history reveals a family history of diabetes.

Answer the following questions about Ms. Rodrigues and diabetes.

a. Ms. Rodrigues has polyuria, paresthesias in her feet, an itching rash in her groin, and blurry vision. Why is it important to measure her blood pressure and the pain and vibration sensation in her hands and feet?

b. Her nurse practitioner ordered blood tests for glucose and HbA1C. What do you expect these values to be if Ms. Rodrigues has type 2 diabetes? What information does HbA1C provide that the blood glucose level does not?

c. Ms. Rodrigues’s evaluation reveals Candida infection and mild coronary artery disease. Why does diabetes increase the risk of infection?

d. Why do physiological mechanisms contribute to peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes?

e. Why did her nurse practitioner refer Ms. Rodrigues to an ophthalmologist?

f. Why is it important to teach Ms. Rodrigues about diet, weight loss, and appropriate exercise, home glucose monitoring, and other ways (possibly including medications) to manage her blood sugar?

Answer 1

A.The imporatance of checking blood pressure when there is a known case of diabetes is very crucial.The person who has diabetes have more chance to develop hypertension in the future because diabetes damage the arteries,called atherosclerosis which cause high chance for blood pressure and if not treated it can lead to heart diseases and other complications.Tingling in the hands and feets are comploication of diabetes.High blood glucose level damage the nerve ending which cause this condition called neuropathy.

B. The blood sugar level for Ms.Rodrigues's will be high and above 130 mg/dl before food and higher than 180mg/dl after food is considered as high blood glucose.HbA1C is different from blood glucose level it tells you the average level of blood glucose over past 2-3months .This test the amount of glucose attach to the hemoglobin.If HbA1C is high means the patient is at risk for chronic disease.

C.Type 2 diabetes reduce the ability of body to fight against infection.This is due to the high sugar level in the tissue helps to grow bacteria in the cell fast and get infectio.In addition diabetes related health issues add up to the situation and make more chance to the infection like heart disease ,reduced blood flow to the extrimitis etc.