Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 78%
Full-length
A client with newly diagnosed type I diabetes mellitus is being seen by the home health nurse. The physician orders include: 1,200-calorie ADA diet, 15 units of NPH insulin before breakfast, and check blood sugar qid. When the nurse visits the client at 5 PM, the nurse observes the man performing a blood sugar analysis. The result is 50 mg/dL. The nurse would expect the client to be
Correct answer
A
Rationale
A blood sugar of 50 mg/dL indicates hypoglycemia (normal 70ÔÇô110 mg/dL), causing symptoms like confusion, cold, clammy skin, and tachycardia (pulse 110). Hyperglycemia (B) causes hot, dry skin and Kussmaul respirations, normal findings (C) are unlikely, and fluid overload (D) is unrelated.