NCLEX RN Diabetes Mellitus Case Study 2
Difficulty: Advanced
Setting: Hospital-based diabetes treatment center
Index Words: impaired glucose tolerance,
... [Show More] educating patients about
nutrition therapy, exercise, glucose monitoring, pharmacology, foot care,
15/15 rule
You work in a diabetes mellitus (DM) treatment center located in a large
• The correct term for “borderline diabetes” is either impaired fasting
term
I would let K.W. know her blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but
they are not quite high enough to be considered a sign of diabetes.
2. What are the criteria for the diagnosis of IFG or IGT?
IFG is defined as fasting plasma glucose 6.1 to 6.9 mmol/l. IGT is defined as
a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) less than 7 mmol/l and 2-hour venous
plasma glucose (after ingestion of 75 g oral glucose load) of 7.8 mmol/l or
greater and less than 11.1 mmol/l.
3. What laboratory value indicated that K.W. had IFG or prediabetes?
Her fasting glucose reading was 118 mg/dl which is high. Fasting glucose
for healthy individuals should be from 80 to 100 mg/dl.
4. What recommendations would you have made to K.W. to minimize her
risk of developing
DM in the future?
K.W. will need to be in a diet low in carbs and sugars to keep her insulin in
check. She should also do some exercise to lose weight and maintain a
healthy lifestyle. The patient should drink lots of water, quit smoking and
avoid sedentary behaviors.
teaching hospital. The first patient you meet is K.W., a 40-year-old
Hispanic female, who was seen 2 years ago with symptoms of severe
fatigue and blurred vision. She thought this was due to working long
hours at a computer. The physician who examined her told her she had
“borderline diabetes,” gave her a 1200-calorie diet, and told her to lose
weight. Her records from that visit indicate the following: weight 205
pounds, height
5¢4≤, blood pressure (BP) 140/90 mm Hg, urine normal, and fasting
glucose 118 mg/dl.
glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT); another term
commonly used now is prediabetes. How would you explain the
borderline diabetes to K.W.?
lOMoAR cPSD|28505380
Because of her work schedule, her mealtimes vary from day to day. Her
family history includes her father dying of myo [Show Less]