Problem: Ms. Brown is a 70-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus who has been too ill to get out of bed for 2 days. She has had a severe cough and has been unable to eat or drink during this time.
On admission, her laboratory values show the following:
Serum glucose 412 mg/dl
Serum sodium (Na+) 156 mEq/l
Serum potassium (K+) 5.6 mEq/l
Serum chloride (Cl-) 115 mEq/l
Arterial blood gases (ABGs): pH 7.30; PaCO2 32 mmHg; PaO2 70 mmHg; HCO3- 20 mEq/l
Case Study Questions
1. What type of water and solute imbalance does Ms. Brown have?
2. What symptoms would you expect to find?
3. What would be the appropriate treatment?
4. What do her ABG results indicate?
5. What does this mean for her diabetes?
6. What treatments would you expect for this patient? Explore both the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options. Include any assessments and further monitoring that needs to be done with these treatments.
7. What education should you prepare for this client when they are feeling better?