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Showing posts from April, 2020

THE DIABETIC PATIENT - PATIENT AND FAMILY TEACHING

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Rick has a history of Type2 Diabetes Mellitus. His blood glucose has been high and he has Insulin ordered twice a day. It is midnight and he is requesting his wife brings snacks from home. He has an ankle ulcer and gangrene of the big toe. What would Rick's care plan include? - patient and family teaching -blood glucose monitoring -circulation checks and monitoring of wound healing of the affected foot.  PVD ( Peripheral Vascular Disease may complicate Diabetes Mellitus. Patient and family teaching is very important.

INSULIN REACTION

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Scenario: Tammy is hypoglycemic (SEE IMAGE BELOW FOR TAMMY'S HISTORY) Assessment: The nurse arrived and did an assessment. She noticed Tammy was anxious and shaky. She was also diaphoretic (sweating excessively). Intervention: The nurse checked the blood glucose by finger stick and noted a result of 58. She checked the doctor's sliding scale orders and gave Tammy 4oz of apple juice. She then notified the doctor as ordered. Note for Nurses: See an example of a sliding scale for finger stick values above along with their suggested treatments. Please note this is only a sample.  Scenario:  Tammy is a 19 year old female who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a year ago. Today she is scheduled for the OR, to have a hernia repair. She has not eaten since midnight. The nurse forgot to hold her Insulin and gave her 10 units of Regular Insulin. Read the above scenario for assessment.

DIABETES

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What are some misconceptions about Diabetes? Patients who receive insulin should be advised it is not a cure! It is important to educate patients about the correct way to manage the use of insulin and follow the doctor's instructions.   What is DKA? DKA stands for Diabetic Ketoacidosis. Learn more about this topic by clicking on the link: Sessions 41-Clinical scenarios in review

WHAT IS A CABG?

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What is a CABG? CABG stands for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft. A CABG is not a virtual cabbage. CABG (pronounced cabbage) is a surgical procedur e done to improve the heart's circulation in a patient with CAD (coronary artery disease) How is a CABG done? A blood vessel (an artery or vein) is taken from another part of the body and used to reroute blood (bypass the blocked vessel) to the heart. An artery or vein from the leg or chest is typically used. What are some common symptoms of CAD? Patients who have severe CAD will experience symptoms such as: - Chest pain - Shortness of breath - Dizziness - Hypotension Why do these symptoms occur? This is due to a lack of blood flow in the blood vessels caused by a clot or plaque. The decrease in blood supply results in insufficient oxygen to the heart muscle.   Scenario: Tim was brought to the ER in respiratory distress. He has a previous history of MI and CHF. He also had a CABG done 1 year ag