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Your patient has been experiencing excessive hunger, thirst, and urinary output. You should suspect...

A. insulin shock
B. severe hyperglycemia
C. moderate hypoglycemia
D. an insulin overdose

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Severe hyperglycemia is most likely in a patient with symptoms of excessive hunger, thirst, and urinary output, as these indicate impaired insulin function potentially related to diabetes mellitus.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's symptoms of excessive hunger, thirst, and urinary output may indicate severe hyperglycemia. These symptoms are characteristic of diabetes mellitus, which is caused by impaired insulin function. Either due to low production of insulin or reduced sensitivity of tissue cells to insulin, glucose is not adequately absorbed by cells, resulting in high levels of blood glucose. This condition can lead to excessive urine production (since the kidneys can't recover all the glucose), dehydration (from the large quantity of urine diluting body fluids), and persistent hunger (as cells cannot access the glucose they need). These symptoms are not typically associated with insulin shock, moderate hypoglycemia, or an insulin overdose, which would more likely present with symptoms such as sweating, tremors, or fainting attacks in the case of hypoglycemia.

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