Question

A school nurse is teaching an adolescent who has diabetes mellitus about preventing hypoglycemia during and after baseball practice. Which of the following instructions should the school nurse include?

A: "Inject your insulin into the upper thigh on practice days."
B: "Consume an extra snack before practice."
C: "Increase your regular insulin dosage before lunch on practice days."
D: "Take a glucose tablet with a high-carbohydrate beverage after practice."

Answer 1

To prevent hypoglycemia during baseball practice, an adolescent with diabetes mellitus should consume an extra snack before physical activity to maintain stable blood glucose levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

The school nurse is providing instructions to an adolescent with diabetes mellitus to prevent hypoglycemia during and after baseball practice. Since physical activity can lower blood sugar levels, it is important to prevent hypoglycemia by ensuring that glucose levels are stable during exercise. The correct instruction would be:

B: "Consume an extra snack before practice."

This approach helps to keep blood glucose levels stable through the provision of additional carbohydrates that will be utilized during the physical exertion of baseball practice. In contrast, injecting insulin into the thigh, increasing insulin dosage, or taking glucose with a high-carbohydrate beverage post-exercise are not appropriate strategies for preventing hypoglycemia in this context. Consuming a snack ensures that the student has the necessary fuel to prevent low blood sugar during and immediately after the physical activity.