Comprehensive Overview of Diabetes: Types, Diagnosis, and Management

This assignment provides a detailed overview of diabetes mellitus, covering its various types (Type 1, Type 2, gestational, and prediabetes), causes, symptoms, and diagnostic methods. It explains how the body's inability to produce or respond to insulin leads to high blood sugar levels. The assignment discusses the clinical tests used to diagnose diabetes, including fasting glucose tests, HbA1c tests, and glucose tolerance tests. It also examines the complications of diabetes, such as strokes, kidney disorders, vision loss, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the assignment analyzes a case study of a diabetic patient, interpreting lab results and discussing treatment options such as insulin and medication to control nausea. The assignment also highlights both short-term and long-term complications associated with diabetes.

Running head: OVERVIEW OF DIABETES
Overview of diabetes
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1OVERVIEW OF DIABETES
Table of Contents
Summary....................................................................................................................................2
Answer 1....................................................................................................................................3
Answer 2....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 3....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 4....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 5....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 6....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 7....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 8....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 9....................................................................................................................................5
Answer 10..................................................................................................................................5
Answer 11..................................................................................................................................5
Answer 12..................................................................................................................................5
Answer 13..................................................................................................................................5
Answer 14..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

2OVERVIEW OF DIABETES
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is a clinical condition causing insufficient production or response to
insulin leading to high blood sugar and resulting into increase in urine production. Diabetes
mellitus is different from diabetes insipidus in which the kidneys are affected whereas in
mellitus the pancreas if affected. The different types of diabetes mellitus are type 1, type 2,
gestational, prediabetes and others ("Diabetes").
The human body naturally breaks down carbohydrates and sugar into glucose that
provides the body energy. The insulin produced by beta cells of pancreas is responsible for
converting the glucose into energy in the blood circulation. But in diabetic patients, their
body either don’t produce enough insulin or lack its production thereby inhibiting glucose
uptake and increasing the blood glucose level in the body causing diabetes. The signs and
symptoms of diabetes causes frequent urination in case of high glucose level, increased
hunger, sweating, blurred vision, irregular heartbeat, confused state of mind, seizures and
fainting in low glucose level. Chronic high blood glucose leads to strokes, kidney disorder,
vision loss, cardiovascular disease along with other circulatory problems. Diabetes is
clinically tested by screening test. First test is the glucose fasting in which the blood glucose
level is measured after fasting for 8-12 hours. Second one is the haemoglobin A1c test that
evaluates the average blood glucose level over the past 3 months. Another test is the 2-hour
glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in which at first the fasting blood test id done followed by
another test after 2 hours of having 75gm of glucose drink. If by repeating the initial
abnormal results come abnormal again, then the patient is diagnosed by diabetes. The blood
glucose level should be monitored by following strict regimen with proper diet, physical
exercise, and regular glucose testing and insulin injections ("Screening Tests For Children:
Diabetes").

3OVERVIEW OF DIABETES

4OVERVIEW OF DIABETES
Answer 1.
High glucose level- hypoglycaemia, insufficient insulin
High BUN, renal failure
High creatinine, kidney malfunction
Low sodium- hypernatremia, dehydration
High potassium- hyperkalemia, renal failure
Low chloride- hypochloremia, dehydration
Low total CO2- hypocapnia, kidney disease
Low HCO3- metyabollic acidosis, diabetic ketoacidosis
High anion gap- acidosis, renal failure
High cholesterol- hypercholesterolemia, kidney failure
High triglyceride- hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance
High glucose level in urine- glycosuria, untreated diabetes mellitus
High ketones in urine- diabetic ketoacidosis, insufficient insulin production
High WBC count- Leukocytosis in blood
High RBC count- polycythemia, kidney disorder
High platelets count- thrombocytosis, bone marrow disorder

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Answer 2.
Stephanie who had diabetes, was rushed to the hospital as she was vomiting and
became comatose. Her conditioned deteriorated as she refused to take her regular insulin and
Tigan to control her vomit.
Answer 3.
The acid-base balance in her is acidic with lowered pH.
Answer 4.
Reduced in total CO2 count caused hypocapnia led to abnormal breathing
Answer 5.
Increased ketones in urine caused fruity odor in her breath ("Blood Ketones: The Test").
Answer 6.
Glucose was elevated in her body as she refused to take her regular insulin dose as she was
diabetic.
Answer 7.
Diabetes mellitus Type 1.
Answer 8.
Imbalanced electrolyte results was due to low sodium that caused dehydration due to
diabetes type 1, high potassium causes hyperkalemia due to renal failure, low chloride
caused hypocholremia due to vomiting and reduced HCO3 caused metabolic acidosis due to
diabetic ketoacidosis.

6OVERVIEW OF DIABETES
Answer 9.
The BUN and the creatinine levels were elevated due to kidney malfunction leading
to increased dehydration ("Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN): The Test").
Answer 10.
Anion gap is the measurement of the difference in between the primary measured
sodium and potassium ions and the chloride and bicarbonate ions in blood serum.
Anion gap measures all the ions such as sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate
ions.
The anion gap is increased in this patient.
The high anion gap is due to uncontrolled diabetes in her causing increased ketoacids
which are the unmeasured anions in the patient. Metabolic acidosis caused high anion gap
("Electrolytes: The Test").
Answer 11.
Diabetes caused the cholesterol rise due to kidney failure
Answer 12.
The patient should be treated with regular insulin dose and to control her nausea
Tigan (trimethobenzamide HCl) should be given.
Answer 13.
Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides in the patient could lead to blocked arteries
increasing cardiovascular risks and atherosclerosis leading to p[premature death. Imbalanced
cholesterol and triglycerides level detects that the lipid profile in moving to a wrong path in

7OVERVIEW OF DIABETES
the patient ("Lipid Profile: The Test | Lipid Profile At A Glance: Lipid Panel; Coronary Risk
Panel | Lab Tests Online").
Tigan was used to control and treat her nausea and vomit.
Answer 14.
The first complications that arise in diabetes type 1 are the short term complications
causing decreased blood sugar due to excess insulin intake leading to headache, rapid heart
rate, sweating, anxiety and sleepiness. Another complication is diabetic ketoacidosis causing
frequent urination, extreme thirst, fruity odor, weight loss and weakness.
The long term complications are microvascular complications such as damage in
eyes, nerve and kidney causing cataracts, neuropathy and diabetic nephropathy leading to
dialysis.

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References
"Blood Ketones: The Test." Labtestsonline.Org, 2017,
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/blood-ketones/tab/test.
"Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN): The Test." Labtestsonline.Org, 2017,
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/bun/tab/test.
"Diabetes." Labtestsonline.Org,2017,
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/diabetes/.
"Electrolytes: The Test." Labtestsonline.Org, 2017,
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/electrolytes/tab/test.
"Lipid Profile: The Test | Lipid Profile At A Glance: Lipid Panel; Coronary Risk Panel | Lab
Tests Online." Labtestsonline.Org, 2017,
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lipid/tab/test.
"Screening Tests For Children: Diabetes." Labtestsonline.Org, 2017,
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/wellness/b-children-1/b-children-3/.

9OVERVIEW OF DIABETES