The nurse is caring for an adolescent with type 1 diabetes mellitus presenting with an HbA1c of 11% (97 mmol/mol), thirst, and blurred vision. Which action should the nurse take first?
Review prior insulin prescriptions.
Obtain point-of-care glucose.
Assess urine for ketones.
Check blood pressure.
The Correct Answer is B
The adolescent's symptoms suggest that their blood glucose levels may be very high. Obtaining a point-of- care glucose reading is the first step in assessing the adolescent's current blood glucose levels and determining the appropriate course of action.
Reviewing prior insulin prescriptions, assessing urine for ketones, and checking blood pressure are also important interventions but should occur after the blood glucose level has been determined.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
If a child's systolic blood pressure is greater than the 90th percentile during a routine clinic visit, the nurse should take the blood pressure two more times during the visit and determine the average of the three readings. This will provide a more accurate assessment of the child's blood pressure. Referring the child to the healthcare provider and scheduling an evaluation of blood pressure in two weeks
A. may be necessary if the child's blood pressure remains elevated, but it is not the next action that should be taken. Measuring the child's blood pressure three times during the visit and determining the highest of the readings
B. is not recommended because it may overestimate the child's blood pressure. Conducting a head-to-toe assessment and omitting repeated blood pressures during the examination
C. is not appropriate because it does not provide an accurate assessment of the child's blood pressure.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
The adolescent client's symptoms of localized pain, swelling, and tenderness, particularly at night, are suggestive of a malignancy such as osteosarcoma, which is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents.
Radial ossification in the soft tissues is a characteristic finding in osteosarcoma and is indicative of bone production by malignant cells. Other imaging modalities, such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may also reveal osteolytic or osteoblastic lesions in the bone.
Growing pains are a common, benign condition that occur in children and do not typically present with the
symptoms described in the case scenario.
Rhabdomyolysis is a medical emergency that involves the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue and release of muscle fiber contents into the bloodstream. It can present with muscle pain, swelling, and tenderness, but typically occurs as a result of injury, infection, or drug toxicity.
Hemosiderosis is a rare condition characterized by the accumulation of iron in various tissues, including the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. It may present with symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, and abdominal pain, but is not typically associated with the symptoms and imaging findings described in the case scenario.
Therefore, the nurse should consider osteosarcoma as the probable cause of the adolescent client's symptoms and imaging findings, and should collaborate with the healthcare team to develop a plan of care for diagnosis and treatment.
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