Blood Sugar Levels and Oxygen Therapy Flashcards
What is the normal range of glucose in the blood?
4.0-7.8mmol/L
How does a non-diabetic body regulate it’s blood glucose level?
The pancreas releases insulin after eating to lower blood sugar after eating or the liver and muscles release glucose to raise blood sugar levels when they’re dropping
What is diabetes?
A common condition that disrupts the body’s ways of regulating a balanced blood sugar level and requires the patient to use medicine and diet to maintain this balance
What are the terms for high and low concentrations of glucose in the blood?
Low: Hypoglycaemia (<3.3mmol/L)
High: Hyperglycaemia (12-15mmol/L)
What are the signs of hyperglycaemia?
Polyuria (urinating more than usual)
Polydipsia (excessive thirst)
Tiredness
Blurred vision
What are the signs of hypoglycaemia?
Light headedness Shaky or weak Sweating Irritability Hunger Nausea Seizures Blurred vision Tachycardia (heart rate over 100bpm) Confusion Trembling or shaking Paleness Dizziness Pins and needles around the mouth
What are the steps involved in measuring a patient’s BGL?
Review the medical order to see how often you should monitor their levels
Gather a glucometer, gloves, lancets, cotton swabs, reagent strips and diabetic chart
Ensure the machine is accurately calibrated to the test strips by checking that the numbers match
Hand hygiene
Explain the procedure and gain consent
Select a puncture site on side of finger ensure it hasn’t been overused
Hand hygiene
Put on gloves
Insert the strip into the glucometer
Use lancet to prick the site and let a drop of blood come to the surface
Touch the test strip to the blood
Wait 20-30 seconds for result
Supply patient with cotton ball to stop bleeding
Dispose of rubbish in contaminated waste and lancet in sharps container
Hand hygiene
Document findings
Why might you carry out a BGL test?
Confused patient Unconscious patient Patient taking medications that interfere with BGL like steroids Fasting patient Patient receiving enteral nutrition Patient with endocrine issues Patient experiencing a seizure Patient with other low or high blood sugar symptoms
What are the 4 types of Hypoxia?
Hypoxaemic hypoxia
Stagnant or circulatory hypoxia
Anaemic hypoxia
Histotoxic hypoxia
Define Hypoxaemic hypoxia
Lack of oxygen level in the blood leading to decreased oxygen diffusion into tissues. Causes include lack of available oxygen, hypoventilation, pneumonia, asthma, drowning
Define Stagnant or Circulatory hypoxia
Low levels of oxygen is tissues due to decreased blood flow. Caused include decreased cardiac output, local vascular obstruction or cardiac arrest
Define Anaemic hypoxia
When the body is unable to transport oxygen in the blood due to decreased haemoglobin levels. Causes include blood loss, carbon monoxide poisoning or sickle cell disease. Note that this will NOT result in lowered Sp02 levels
Define Histotoxic hypoxia
When the body cannot use the oxygen that’s delivered to it. Causes include cyanide poisoning, alcohol consumption and narcotics
What are the indications that a patient may require oxygen therapy?
Low Sp02 reading Rapid breathing Use of accessory muscles when breathing Shortness of breath Skin turning blue
Are nurses allowed to administer oxygen without a written order?
Yes. But only when they have applied clinical reasoning and have deduced that the situation suggests that the patient needs it
