Final answer:
The nurse should explain that maintaining blood sugar levels between 70-90 mg/dL is important to prevent hyperglycemia, ensure effective use of insulin injections, and help manage insulin resistance in diabetic patients.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse's response to the patient's husband regarding why the blood sugar is being maintained between 70-90 mg/dL should be based on the aim to prevent hyperglycemia. Maintaining blood sugar levels within this range is critical in patients with diabetes to prevent the complications associated with high blood sugar levels. When blood glucose concentration rises above the normal range, the body releases insulin to encourage cells to remove and utilize glucose from the bloodstream, thereby lowering the blood glucose levels. Conversely, if blood glucose levels drop too low, glucagon is released to stimulate the release of glucose into the blood, preventing hypoglycemia. For patients with type 2 diabetes, particularly, maintaining blood glucose levels helps overcome insulin resistance, where body cells do not respond to insulin properly. By keeping blood glucose within the target range, insulin injections can work more effectively to decrease high blood glucose levels, especially after high-glucose meals, and promote a negative feedback loop that helps maintain blood glucose production.