NUR2101 Assignment: Comprehensive Pamphlet on Type 1 Diabetes

This document is a comprehensive pamphlet designed to educate patients and their families about Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). It begins by defining T1D as an autoimmune condition where the immune system destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, leading to high blood sugar levels. The pamphlet outlines common symptoms like frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, fatigue, weight loss, and blurred vision. It then delves into the anatomical structure affected (beta cells) and the pathophysiological mechanisms, highlighting the roles of both genetic and environmental factors, leading to insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Diagnostic tests, including fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and random blood glucose tests, are discussed. Treatment options, primarily insulin administration (short, rapid, or long-acting), alongside other medications like high blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering drugs, are presented. The pamphlet also emphasizes the importance of management strategies such as frequent blood sugar monitoring, a healthy diet, and physical activity to manage symptoms and improve the quality of life for individuals with T1D. Finally, it provides links to external resources for further information and references key studies on T1D.

Pamphlet for Type 1
Diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes: It is a condition during
which immune system destroys insulin-
making cells in the pancreas by destroying
the beta cells. The beta cells are involved
in producing insulin and destruction of
these cells result in poor production of
insulin. Thus, people affected by this
disease suffers from high blood sugar level
Some of the symptoms of T1D are as
follows:
 Frequent urination
 Increase in thirst
 Increase in hunger
 Fatigue
 Loss of weight
 Blurred vision (Atkinson, Eisenbarth
& Michels, 2014).
Anatomical structure affected: T1D
affects the beta cells in the pancreas.
Pathophysiological mechanism of
T1D: Both genetic and environmental
factors are involved in causing T1D. Apart
from gene factor, environmental factors
like poor physical activity and dietary
factors lead to inflammation and
autoimmune reactions that destroys the
beta cells in the pancreas. As beta cell is
involved in producing insulin, the
production of insulin is impaired. This form
of insulin deficiency leads to
hyperglycemia or high blood sugar level. It
is a condition during which adequate
amount of insulin is not produced to
absorb glucose into cells for energy and
glucose accumulates in the lungs and
urine (Kahanovitz, Sluss & Russell, 2017).
Figure 1: Pathophysiology of T1D
Potential diagnostic tests for T1D:
All individuals who are suffering
from the above symptoms must undertake
the following test to confirm that they
have T1D:
1. Fasting plasma glucose test
(FPG): This test is done in the

morning in fasting state and
diabetes is confirmed if the FPG
value is greater than 126mg/dl.
2. HbA1c test: This test is done to
identify blood glucose level for the
past few months. The haemoglobin
value of more than 6.5% is an
indication of positive test results.
3. Random blood glucose test:
This test measures glucose at any
time to identify whether a person is
suffering from diabetes or not
(Lucier & Weinstock, 2019)
Treatment options for T1D: The
primary requirement for all patients with
T1D is to take insulin. The key medication
for patient with T1D is to take insulin
every day. This may include short acting
insulin or rapid acting insulin or long
acting insulin. The clinician can decide
which type of insulin is appropriate for
patient. The affected patient can take
insulin either through injection or through
an insulin pump. Moreover, other
medications that may be prescribed to
patient include:
 High blood pressure medications
like angiotensin-converting enzyme
 Cholesterol lowering drugs to
reduce risk of heart disease (Lucier
& Weinstock, 2019).
Three management strategies for
relieving symptom:
The above pharmacological treatment can
be followed by other management
techniques such as:
Frequent blood sugar monitoring: As
T1D is a threatening condition, it is
essential for patients to monitor their
blood glucose level regularly. This can
help them to track glucose level and seek
intervention in case of poor control of
blood sugar level
Eating healthy diet: They should consult
with doctors to follow a healthy diet and
eating plan and avoid foods that increase
blood sugar level
Maintaining healthy weight and
engaging in physical activity: Being
physically active is also necessary to lead
a healthy life even after diagnosis of T1D
(Subramanian et al., 2016)
To access more information on the
disease, you can look for information in
the following websites:
https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/
managing-type-1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/
NBK279114/
References:

Subramanian, S., Baidal, D., Skyler, J. S., & Hirsch, I. B. (2016). The management of type 1
diabetes. In Endotext [Internet]. MDText. com, Inc.. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279114/
Atkinson, M. A., Eisenbarth, G. S., & Michels, A. W. (2014). Type 1 diabetes. The
Lancet, 383(9911), 69-82. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60591-7
Kahanovitz, L., Sluss, P. M., & Russell, S. J. (2017). Type 1 diabetes–a clinical
perspective. Point of care, 16(1), 37. doi:10.1097/POC.0000000000000125.
Lucier, J., & Weinstock, R., (2019). Diabetes Mellitus Type 1. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507713/