The patient presents with a complaint of "always dropping things and falling down." During the neurologic assessment, the nurse observes that the patient's display of rapid alternating movements is slow and misses often. The patient also loses balance during the Romberg Test. What neurologic problem would the nurse suspect?

A. While using the correct needle size is important for insulin administration, it is not the most critical aspect of discharge planning. The focus should be on managing blood glucose levels and recognizing when medical intervention is needed.
B. Monitoring the skin for dryness at the injection site is a good practice, but it is not the most urgent issue to address in discharge planning for a newly diagnosed diabetic client.
C. Consistently elevated blood glucose levels above 200 mg/dL may indicate poor control of diabetes and require prompt adjustments in treatment. Teaching the client to recognize and report hyperglycemia is essential to prevent complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
D. Eye exams are important for long-term diabetes management to monitor for diabetic retinopathy, but every 3 months is excessive. Annual eye exams are typically sufficient unless otherwise indicated by the healthcare provider.

A. A lesion of cranial nerve IX primarily affects swallowing and taste sensations rather than motor coordination or balance, so this is unlikely to explain the patient's symptoms.
B. Vestibular disease typically results in vertigo and balance issues, but the specific observations of slow alternating movements and loss of balance during the Romberg Test suggest a different underlying cause.
C. Dysfunction of the cerebellum would explain the patient's difficulties with rapid alternating movements and balance issues, as the cerebellum is responsible for coordinating motor activity and maintaining posture and balance. This aligns with the assessment findings, indicating a probable cerebellar dysfunction.
D. While an AVM in the frontal lobe could affect motor control, the specific symptoms presented, such as the inability to perform rapid movements and balance issues, are more characteristic of cerebellar dysfunction rather than a frontal lobe lesion.