A nurse is caring for a client who has type 1 diabetes mellitus. The client reports that she is not feeling well. Which of the following findings should indicate to the nurse that the client is hypoglycemic? (Select all that apply)
Inability to concentrate
Polydipsia
Tremors
Acetone breath odor
Diaphoresis
Correct Answer : A,C,E
Choice A reason: Inability to concentrate is a common symptom of hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes, as low blood glucose impairs brain function, leading to confusion and difficulty focusing. This neuroglycopenic symptom results from insufficient glucose for cerebral energy, making it a critical indicator requiring prompt intervention like glucose administration.
Choice B reason: Polydipsia is associated with hyperglycemia, not hypoglycemia, in type 1 diabetes. It results from osmotic diuresis due to high blood glucose, causing dehydration and thirst. This symptom does not indicate low blood sugar, making it incorrect for identifying hypoglycemia in this scenario.
Choice C reason: Tremors are a hallmark of hypoglycemia, caused by the sympathetic nervous system’s response to low blood glucose, triggering catecholamine release. This leads to shakiness, a common adrenergic symptom, signaling the need for immediate glucose to restore normal levels, making it a correct indicator.
Choice D reason: Acetone breath odor is linked to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of hyperglycemia, not hypoglycemia. It results from ketone production during fat metabolism in uncontrolled diabetes. This finding is irrelevant to low blood sugar, making it incorrect for this scenario.
Choice E reason: Diaphoresis, or excessive sweating, is a classic hypoglycemia symptom due to autonomic activation from low blood glucose. The body releases adrenaline, causing sweating as a stress response. This reliable indicator prompts urgent treatment to prevent severe complications, making it a correct choice.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Referring to a mental health clinic addresses potential emotional distress but not the adolescent’s primary concern of affordability. Pregnancy increases psychological stress, but financial barriers to prenatal care are critical. This action fails to ensure access to medical resources, essential for maternal and fetal health in adolescent pregnancy.
Choice B reason: Contacting the adolescent’s parent risks breaching confidentiality, depending on legal guidelines, and does not address financial concerns directly. Family dynamics may complicate support, and without consent, this action could increase stress, failing to provide immediate healthcare access critical for a healthy pregnancy outcome.
Choice C reason: Assisting with Medicaid application directly addresses financial concerns, ensuring access to prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum support. Medicaid reduces risks like preterm birth by covering medical and nutritional needs, critical for adolescent mothers with limited resources, aligning with public health goals for maternal-fetal well-being.
Choice D reason: Advising adoption is premature and overlooks the adolescent’s autonomy. Adoption requires extensive counseling, not immediate recommendation. It fails to address healthcare access, critical for a healthy pregnancy. This approach dismisses financial solutions, potentially increasing stress and undermining informed decision-making in pregnancy.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Abdominal pain is a hallmark of ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo implants outside the uterus, often in the fallopian tube. Tissue stretching or rupture causes localized pain, driven by tubal irritation or internal bleeding, requiring urgent evaluation to prevent life-threatening hemorrhage in affected clients.
Choice B reason: Hydramnios, excessive amniotic fluid, occurs in intrauterine pregnancies, not ectopic ones, which lack a uterine gestational sac. Ectopic pregnancies cannot produce amniotic fluid, as implantation occurs outside the uterus, making hydramnios an irrelevant finding in this condition’s pathophysiology.
Choice C reason: Profuse vaginal bleeding is uncommon in ectopic pregnancy, which typically causes spotting or mild bleeding. Heavy bleeding suggests miscarriage or other conditions. Ectopic pregnancies cause internal bleeding, leading to abdominal pain, not profuse vaginal hemorrhage, a key diagnostic distinction.
Choice D reason: Elevated blood pressure is not typical in ectopic pregnancy unless complicated by pain-induced stress or shock. Internal bleeding from ectopic rupture often lowers blood pressure due to hypovolemia, making hypertension an unlikely finding compared to the expected abdominal pain presentation.
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