Acarbose (Precose), an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, is prescribed for a female client with type 2 diabetes mellitus. During discharge planning, nurse Pauleen would be aware of the client’s need for additional teaching when the client states:
a. “If I have hypoglycemia, I should eat some sugar, not dextrose.”
b. “The drug makes my pancreas release more insulin.”
c. “I should never take insulin while I’m taking this drug.”
d. “It’s best if I take the drug with the first bite of a meal.”
Answer A.
Acarbose delays glucose absorption, so the client should take an oral form of dextrose rather than a product containing table sugar when treating hypoglycemia. The alpha-glucosidase inhibitors work by delaying the carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption. It’s safe to be on a regimen that includes insulin and an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. The client should take the drug at the start of a meal, not 30 minutes to an hour before.
Reactive hypoglycemia is a controversial subject. Many people consider that they suffer from hypoglycemia, but do not meet all of their criteria. For example, they regularly go through times of fatigue, low energy, and nervousness, but their blood sugar levels remain perfectly normal. Thus, in these cases, the doctor can not conclude to hypoglycemia.
There is no clear explanation of the origin of these "pseudo-hypoglycaemia". A state of panic or an excess of stress could be in question. In addition, some people's body may react more strongly to lower blood sugar levels.
In medicine, "true" hypoglycaemia - which meets the three criteria listed above - is usually diagnosed in people with glucose intolerance (a preliminary stage of diabetes), diabetes or other pancreatic disease. Stomach surgery can also cause hypoglycemia, but it is rather rare.
However, whether it is true hypoglycemia or "pseudo-hypoglycemia", the symptoms are controlled and prevented in the same way, thanks to various changes in eating habits.
Better understand blood sugar:
Glucose provides the organs with their main source of energy. It comes from the digestion of sugars contained in food. They are called carbohydrates, carbohydrates or carbohydrates. Desserts, fruits and cereal products (rice, pasta and breads) abound.
Normal fasting glucose (ie, after 8 hours without eating), for a non-diabetic person, is between 3.5 mmol / l and 7.0 mmol / l. After a meal, it can rise to 7.8 mmol / l. In between meals, the body must ensure that there is enough glucose circulating in the blood to provide a source of energy to the organs. It is the liver that provides this glucose, either by synthesizing it or by releasing the glucose it stores in the form of glycogen. The muscles also contain glycogen, but it can not be used to restore a low blood glucose.
Blood glucose is controlled by several hormones. Insulin secreted after a meal lowers blood sugar, while glucagon, growth hormone, adrenaline and cortisol cause it to rise. All these hormones are finely adjusted so that the circulating glucose level is relatively constant, even under fasting conditions.
Who is affected?
People who suffer from hypoglycemia are usually women in their twenties or thirties. Since this condition is not considered a disease, there are no reliable statistics on the number of people affected.
Consequences:
Most of the time, the reaction hypoglycemia is mild and fades spontaneously or after ingestion of foods that provide glucose to the body. There is no serious consequence.
Diagnostic:
Once the situation that triggers the symptoms is discovered, the doctor may ask the patient to measure their blood glucose before and after a symptomatic period.
People who have a blood glucose meter (glucose meter) at their disposal can use it. Otherwise, the blood glucose is taken using a blotting paper test (Glucoval), offered in some private laboratories.
If the blood glucose is abnormal, the doctor conducts a complete health check to find the cause. When the doctor suspects that the person is suffering from glucose intolerance or diabetes, other blood glucose tests are undertaken.
a. “If I have hypoglycemia, I should eat some sugar, not dextrose.”
b. “The drug makes my pancreas release more insulin.”
c. “I should never take insulin while I’m taking this drug.”
d. “It’s best if I take the drug with the first bite of a meal.”
Answer A.
Acarbose delays glucose absorption, so the client should take an oral form of dextrose rather than a product containing table sugar when treating hypoglycemia. The alpha-glucosidase inhibitors work by delaying the carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption. It’s safe to be on a regimen that includes insulin and an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. The client should take the drug at the start of a meal, not 30 minutes to an hour before.
Reactive hypoglycemia is a controversial subject. Many people consider that they suffer from hypoglycemia, but do not meet all of their criteria. For example, they regularly go through times of fatigue, low energy, and nervousness, but their blood sugar levels remain perfectly normal. Thus, in these cases, the doctor can not conclude to hypoglycemia.
There is no clear explanation of the origin of these "pseudo-hypoglycaemia". A state of panic or an excess of stress could be in question. In addition, some people's body may react more strongly to lower blood sugar levels.
In medicine, "true" hypoglycaemia - which meets the three criteria listed above - is usually diagnosed in people with glucose intolerance (a preliminary stage of diabetes), diabetes or other pancreatic disease. Stomach surgery can also cause hypoglycemia, but it is rather rare.
However, whether it is true hypoglycemia or "pseudo-hypoglycemia", the symptoms are controlled and prevented in the same way, thanks to various changes in eating habits.
Better understand blood sugar:
Glucose provides the organs with their main source of energy. It comes from the digestion of sugars contained in food. They are called carbohydrates, carbohydrates or carbohydrates. Desserts, fruits and cereal products (rice, pasta and breads) abound.
Normal fasting glucose (ie, after 8 hours without eating), for a non-diabetic person, is between 3.5 mmol / l and 7.0 mmol / l. After a meal, it can rise to 7.8 mmol / l. In between meals, the body must ensure that there is enough glucose circulating in the blood to provide a source of energy to the organs. It is the liver that provides this glucose, either by synthesizing it or by releasing the glucose it stores in the form of glycogen. The muscles also contain glycogen, but it can not be used to restore a low blood glucose.
Blood glucose is controlled by several hormones. Insulin secreted after a meal lowers blood sugar, while glucagon, growth hormone, adrenaline and cortisol cause it to rise. All these hormones are finely adjusted so that the circulating glucose level is relatively constant, even under fasting conditions.
Who is affected?
People who suffer from hypoglycemia are usually women in their twenties or thirties. Since this condition is not considered a disease, there are no reliable statistics on the number of people affected.
Consequences:
Most of the time, the reaction hypoglycemia is mild and fades spontaneously or after ingestion of foods that provide glucose to the body. There is no serious consequence.
Diagnostic:
Once the situation that triggers the symptoms is discovered, the doctor may ask the patient to measure their blood glucose before and after a symptomatic period.
People who have a blood glucose meter (glucose meter) at their disposal can use it. Otherwise, the blood glucose is taken using a blotting paper test (Glucoval), offered in some private laboratories.
If the blood glucose is abnormal, the doctor conducts a complete health check to find the cause. When the doctor suspects that the person is suffering from glucose intolerance or diabetes, other blood glucose tests are undertaken.
