Question

Which information would the nurse include in a teaching plan about what causes diabetic acidosis?

a- A breakdown of fat stores for energy
b- Ingestion of too many highly acidic foods
c- Excessive secretion of endogenous insulin
d- Increased amounts of cholesterol in the extracellular compartment

Answer 1

Diabetic acidosis is caused by the breakdown of fat stores for energy due to inadequate glucose usage, leading to the production of acidic ketone bodies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse would include in a teaching plan that diabetic acidosis is chiefly caused by a breakdown of fat stores for energy (a). This occurs in the context of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus when cells cannot obtain sufficient glucose and thus metabolize fatty acids for energy. The result of this metabolic shift is the accumulation of ketone bodies, such as acetoacetic acid, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetone, which increase the blood’s acidity, leading to ketoacidosis.

When certain tissues in the body cannot get adequate amounts of glucose, they rely on the breakdown of fatty acids, which leads to the formation of ketone bodies. These ketone bodies increase the acidity of the blood, causing diabetic acidosis.