A patient being seen for diabetes at an outpatient clinic has a hemoglobin A1c level of 14%. On what conclusion should the nurse base further assessment?
a. The patient has not been following the treatment regimen at home.
b. The patient's blood glucose levels have been elevated for the last 2 to 3 months.
c. The patient may have had numerous hypoglycemic episodes during the last month.
d. The patient generally adheres to the treatment regimen but has had increased carbohydrate intake in the last 3 months.
ANS: B
A normal HbA1c is 4% to 6%. Glucose in the blood attaches to hemoglobin in the red blood cells, which live about 3 months. When the glucose that is attached to the hemoglobin is measured, it reflects the average blood glucose level for the previous 2 to 3 months. A. C. D. The result simply shows that glucose has been high, not the reason behind it.
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