Question

A diabetic patient calls the clinic complaining of having a "flu bug." The nurse tells him to take his regular dose of insulin. What else should the nurse tell the patient?

A) "Make sure to stick to your normal diet."
B) "Try to eat small amounts of carbs, if possible."
C) "Ensure that you check your blood glucose every hour."
D) "For now, check your urine for ketones every 8 hours."

Answer 1

The nurse should advise the diabetic patient to try to eat small amounts of carbs if possible to stabilize blood sugar and to check their urine for ketones every 8 hours to monitor for ketoacidosis during a flu illness.

Step-by-step explanation:

When managing type 1 diabetes, it is critical to maintain regular blood glucose monitoring during illness, such as a flu. In addition to taking the regular dose of insulin, which helps to decrease blood glucose levels post-meal or when they are elevated, the nurse should advise the patient on specific actions to take during this time. The correct advice would be:

B) "Try to eat small amounts of carbs, if possible." Eating smaller amounts can help stabilize blood glucose and insulin levels, which is especially crucial when an illness might disrupt normal eating patterns. Furthermore, D) "For now, check your urine for ketones every 8 hours." Ketones can indicate that the body is using fat for energy because it doesn't have enough insulin to use glucose, which can occur during illness when eating patterns are disrupted and could lead to diabetic ketoacidosis if not managed properly.

Other helpful measures include controlling stress, which can affect blood glucose levels, and reaching out to medical professionals for support in managing diabetes during illness.