Question

A client with diabetes is receiving an oral anti diabetic agent that acts to help the tissues use available insulin more efficiently. Which of the following agents would the nurse expect to administer?

1) Metformin
2) Glyburide
3) Pioglitazone
4) Insulin

Answer 1

The nurse would expect to administer Pioglitazone, which is a thiazolidinedione that helps tissues use insulin more efficiently.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a client with diabetes is receiving an oral anti-diabetic agent that helps the tissues use available insulin more efficiently, the nurse would expect to administer Pioglitazone. This medication falls into a class of drugs known as thiazolidinediones, which improve insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, Metformin decreases glucose production in the liver and improves insulin sensitivity as well, but its primary action is not on the insulin receptors in the tissues as directly as thiazolidinediones do. Glyburide is a sulfonylurea which works by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin. Finally, while insulin itself is a treatment for diabetes, it is not an oral agent and acts by providing additional insulin to the body, not by making the tissues more sensitive to insulin.