Final answer:
The presence of glucose in the urine dipstick is an indication of diabetes mellitus (DM) since uncontrolled diabetes leads to high glucose levels in the blood resulting in glucose excretion in the urine.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nurse Tammy is preparing to review the results of Derek's urine dipstick. The presence of glucose in the urine is a potential indication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetes causes high levels of glucose in the blood because the body either doesn't produce enough insulin (type I diabetes mellitus) or the cells do not effectively respond to insulin (type II diabetes mellitus). Without insulin facilitating the uptake of glucose into cells, glucose accumulates in the blood and is subsequently excreted in the urine. Therefore, a positive result for glucose on the urine dipstick would suggest diabetes mellitus.
Other substances such as ketones might also be found. Ketones are byproducts of fat metabolism, and their presence on the dipstick can indicate that the body is using fat for energy instead of glucose, which is consistent with uncontrolled diabetes where glucose cannot be utilized properly. Although ketones can also indicate diabetes, the direct detection of glucose in urine is a more common and straightforward indicator of diabetes mellitus.