The nurse is caring for a client who arrives in the emergency room obtunded. The client's blood sugar is 802 and the client is started on an insulin drip
The nurse plans to monitor that the blood sugar does not decrease by more than 50 every hour for which of the following reasons? 1. Increased risk for increased intracranial pressure
2. Increased risk for the development of diabetic coma
3. Increased risk for cardiac arrhythmias
4. Increased risk of fluid deficit
1. Increased risk for increased intracranial pressure
Rationale:
Decreasing the blood sugar by more than 50-100 per hour will cause changes in pressures in the fluid risking increased intracranial pressure. The client would be more likely to develop insulin shock with a swift decrease in blood glucose. Cardiac arrhythmias are not a complication of decreasing blood sugars nor is the risk of fluid deficit.
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