Category: Nursing Assignment Help

A 43-year-old female patient with known Graves Disease presents to the clinic with complaints of nervousness racing heartbeat anxiety increased perspiration heat intolerance hyperactivity and severe palpitations

A 43-year-old female patient with known Graves’ Disease presents to the clinic with complaints of nervousness, racing heartbeat, anxiety, increased perspiration, heat intolerance, hyperactivity and severe palpitations. She states she had been given a prescription for propylthiouracil, an antithyroid medication but she did not fill the prescription as she claims she lost it. She had been given the option of thyroidectomy which she declined. She also notes that she is having trouble with her vision and often has blurry eyes. She states that her eyes seem “to bug out of her face”. She has had recurrent outs of nausea and vomiting. She was recently hospitalized for pneumonia.  Physical exam is significant for obvious exophthalmos and pretibial myxedema. Vital signs are temp 101.2˚F, HR 138 and irregular, BP 160/60 mmHg. Respirations 24. Electrocardiogram revealed atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. The APRN recognizes the patient is experiencing symptoms of thyrotoxic crisis, also called thyroid storm. The patient was immediately transported to a hospital for critical care management.

Question:

How did the patient develop thyroid storm? What were the patient factors that lead to the development of thyroid storm? 

A 43-year-old female patient presents to the clinic with complaints of nervousness racing heartbeat anxiety increased perspiration heat intolerance hyperactivity and palpitations

A 43-year-old female patient presents to the clinic with complaints of nervousness, racing heartbeat, anxiety, increased perspiration, heat intolerance, hyperactivity and palpitations. She states she had had the symptoms for several months but attributed the symptoms to beginning to care for her elderly mother who has Alzheimer’s Disease. She has lost 15 pounds in the last 3 months without dieting. Her past medical history is significant for rheumatoid arthritis that she has had for the last 10 years well controlled with methotrexate and prednisone. Physical exam is remarkable for periorbital edema, warm silky feeling skin, and palpable thyroid nodules in both lobes of the thyroid. Pending laboratory diagnostics, the APRN diagnoses the patient as having hyperthyroidism, also called Graves’ Disease.

Question:

Explain how the negative feedback loop controls thyroid levels.

A 21-year-old male was involved in a motorcycle accident and sustained a closed head injury

A 21-year-old male was involved in a motorcycle accident and sustained a closed head injury. He is waking up and interacting with his family and medical team. He complained of thirst that doesn’t seem to go away no matter how much water he drinks. The nurses note that he has had 3500 cc of pale-yellow urine in the last 24 hours. Urine was sent for osmolality which was reported as 122 mOsm/L. A diagnosis of probable neurogenic diabetes insipidus was made.

Question:

What causes diabetes insipidus (DI)? 

A 47-year-old African American male presents to the clinic with chief complaints of polyuria polydipsia polyphagia and weight loss

A 47-year-old African American male presents to the clinic with chief complaints of polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and weight loss. He also said that his vison occasionally blurs and that his feet sometimes feel numb.  He has increased hunger despite weight loss and admits to feeling unusually tired. He also complains of “swelling” and enlargement of his abdomen.

Past Medical History (PMH) significant for HTN fairly well controlled with and ACE inhibitor; central obesity, and dyslipidemia treated with a statin, Review of systems negative except for chief complaint. Physical exam unremarkable except for decreased filament test both feet. Random glucose in office 290 mg/dl. The APRN diagnoses the patient with type II DM and prescribes oral medication to control the glucose level and also referred the patient to a dietician for dietary teaching.

Question:

What is the basic underlying pathophysiology of Type II DM? 

A 47-year-old female is referred to the endocrinologist for evaluation of her chronically elevated blood pressure hypokalemia and hypervolemia

A 47-year-old female is referred to the endocrinologist for evaluation of her chronically elevated blood pressure, hypokalemia, and hypervolemia. The patient’s hypertension has been refractory to the usual medications such as beta blockers, diuretics, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. After a full work up including serum and urinary electrolyte levels, aldosterone suppression test, plasma aldosterone to renin ratio, and MRI which revealed an autonomous adenoma, the endocrinologist diagnoses the patient with primary hyper-aldosteronism.

Question:

What is the pathogenesis of primary hyper-aldosteronism? 

A 32-year-old woman presented to the clinic complaining of weight gain swelling in her legs and ankles and a puffy face

A 32-year-old woman presented to the clinic complaining of weight gain, swelling in her legs and ankles and a puffy face. She also recently developed hypertension and diabetes type 2. She noted poor short-term memory, irritability, excess hair growth (women), red-ruddy face, extra fat around her neck, fatigue, poor concentration, and menstrual irregularity in addition to muscle weakness. Given her physical appearance and history, a tentative diagnosis of hypercortical function was made. Diagnostics included serum and urinary cortisol and serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). MRI revealed a pituitary adenoma.

Question:

How would you differentiate Cushing’s disease from Cushing’s syndrome? 

A 67-year-old African American male presents to the clinic with a chief complaint that he has to go to the bathroom all the time and I feel really weak

A 67-year-old African American male presents to the clinic with a chief complaint that he has to “go to the bathroom all the time and I feel really weak.” He states that this has been going on for about 3 days but couldn’t come to the clinic sooner as he went to the Wound Care clinic for a dressing change to his right great toe that has been chronically infected, and he now has osteomyelitis. Patient with known Type II diabetes with poor control. His last HgA1_C was 10.2 %. He says he can’t afford the insulin he was prescribed and only takes half of the oral agent he was prescribed. Random glucose in the office revealed glucose of 890 mg/dl. He was immediately referred to the ED by the APRN for evaluation of suspected hyperosmolar hyperglycemic non ketotic syndrome (HHNKS). Also called hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS).

Question:

Explain the underlying processes that lead to HHNKS or HHS.

A 17-year-old boy recently diagnosed with Type I diabetes is brought to the pediatricians office by his parents with a chief complaint of having the flu

A 17-year-old boy recently diagnosed with Type I diabetes is brought to the pediatrician’s office by his parents with a chief complaint of “having the flu”. His symptoms began 2 days ago, and he has vomited several times and has not eaten very much. He can’t remember if he took his prescribed insulin for several days because he felt so sick. Random glucose in the office reveals glucose 560 mg/dl and the pediatrician made arrangements for the patient to be admitted to the hospitalist service with an endocrinology consult.

BP 124/80mmHg; HR 122bpm; Respirations 32 breaths/min; Temp 97.2˚F; PaO₂97% on RA

Admission labs: Hgb 14.6 g/dl; Hct 58%

CMP- Na+ 122mmol/L; K+ 5.3mmol/L; Glucose 560mg/dl; BUN 52mg/dl; Creatinine 4.9mg/dl;

Cl- 95mmol/L; Ca++ 8.8mmol/L; AST (SGOT) 248U/L; ALT 198U/L; CK 34/35 IU/L; Cholesterol 198mg/dl;

Phosphorus 6.8mg/dl; Acetone Moderate; LDH38U/L; Alkaline Phosphatase 132U/L.

Arterial blood gas values were as follows: pH 7.09; Paco220mm Hg; Po2100mm Hg; Sao2 98% (room air)

HCO3-7.5mmol/L; anion gap 19.4

A diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis was made, and the patient was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for close monitoring.

Question:

The hormones involved in intermediary metabolism, exclusive of insulin, that can participate in the development of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) are epinephrine, glucagon, cortisol, growth hormone. Describe how they participate in the development of DKA.

 

A 17-year-old boy is brought to the pediatricians office by his parents who are concerned about their sons weight loss despite eating more

A 17-year-old boy is brought to the pediatrician’s office by his parents who are concerned about their son’s weight loss despite eating more, frequent urination, unquenchable thirst, and fatigue that is interfering with his school/work activities. He had been seemingly healthy until about 3 months ago when his parents started noticing these symptoms but put these symptoms down to his busy schedule including a part time job. He admits to sleeping more and tires very easily. He denies any other symptoms.

PMH-noncontributory. No surgeries or major medical problems. Usual colds and ear infections as a child

Allergies-none know

Family history- maternal uncle with “some kind of sugar diabetes problem” but parents unclear on the exact disease process

Social-denies alcohol, tobacco or illicit drug use. Not sexually active. Junior at local high school and works in a fast food store after school and on weekends.

Labs in office: random glucose 220 mg/dl.

Based on his symptoms and the glucose level, the pediatrician makes a tentative diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus type 1 and refers the boy and his parents to an endocrinologist for further work up and management plan.

Question 1 of 6:

The patient exhibited classic signs of Type 1 diabetes. Explain the pathophysiology of “polydipsia.”

Question 2

The patient exhibited classic signs of Type 1 diabetes. Explain the pathophysiology of “polyuria.”

Question 3 of 6:

The patient exhibited classic signs of Type 1 diabetes. Explain the pathophysiology of “polyphagia.”

Question 4 of 6:

The patient exhibited classic signs of Type 1 diabetes. Explain the pathophysiology of “weight loss.”

Question 5 of 6:

The patient exhibited classic signs of Type 1 diabetes. Explain the pathophysiology of “fatigue.”

Question 6 of 6:

How do genetics and environmental factors contribute to the development of Type 1 diabetes?

 

A 64-year-old Caucasian female who is 4 weeks status post total parathyroidectomy with forearm gland insertion presents to the general surgeon

A 64-year-old Caucasian female who is 4 weeks status post total parathyroidectomy with forearm gland insertion presents to the general surgeon for her post-operative checkup. She states that her mouth feels numb and she feels “tingly all over. The surgeon suspects the patient has hypoparathyroidism secondary to the parathyroidectomy with delayed vascularization of the implanted gland. She orders a Chem 20 to determine what electrolyte abnormalities may be present. The labs reveal a serum Ca++ of 7.1 mg/dl (normal 8.5 mg/dl-10.5 mg/dl) and phosphorous level of 5.6 mg/dl (normal 2.4-4.1 mg/dl).

Question:

What serious consequences of hypoparathyroidism occur and why?