Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 88%
Simulated
Passage / Scenario
A nurse is caring for a client who is at 22 weeks of gestation and has been unable to control her gestational diabetes mellitus with diet and exercise.The nurse should anticipate a prescription from the provider for which of the following medications for the client?
Correct answer
B
Rationale
The correct answer is B: Insulin. In clients with diabetes, insulin is essential for managing blood sugar levels. Insulin is often prescribed by healthcare providers for type 1 diabetes and sometimes for type 2 diabetes when oral medications are not sufficient. Repaglinide, Glipizide, and Acarbose are oral antidiabetic medications that work differently from insulin. Repaglinide and Glipizide stimulate insulin release from the pancreas, while Acarbose delays carbohydrate absorption. However, in this case, the nurse should anticipate a prescription for insulin as it directly replaces the hormone that the client's body may not be producing enough of to regulate blood sugar effectively.