Question

Your patient is a 56-year-old woman with a history of type 2 diabetes who reports feeling dizzy. She is pale and diaphoretic. Her blood pressure is 80/60 mm Hg. The cardiac monitor documents the rhythm shown here. She is receiving oxygen at 4 L/min by nasal cannula, and an IV has been established. What do you administer next?

- Dopamine 2 to 10 mcg/kg per min
- Atropine 1 mg IV
- Morphine sulfate 4 mg IV
- Glucose 50% IV push

Answer 1

A patient with a history of type 2 diabetes experiencing dizziness and low blood pressure may have hypovolemia. Administering a fluid bolus, such as normal saline, would be the next step in management.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms described by the patient, including dizziness, pale appearance, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), and low blood pressure, may indicate hypovolemia, which is a condition characterized by decreased blood volume. In this case, the patient may be experiencing hypovolemic shock due to a complication of her type 2 diabetes. The next step in managing this patient would be to administer a fluid bolus, such as normal saline, to increase intravascular volume and improve blood pressure.