Chapter 19 Endocrine and Hematologic Emergencies Flashcards
The main function of the endocrine system is to _____.
Maintain homeostasis
A patient with an altered mental status; high blood glucose levels; and deep, rapid breathing may have a condition known as _____.
Diabetic ketoacidosis
A patient with hypoglycemia will often present with what signs and symptoms?
Pale, cool, clammy skin
Stroke-like symptoms
Altered mental status
The two main types of cells contained in the blood are called _____.
Erythrocytes (RBCs) and leukocytes (WBCs)
The brain requires _____ as much as it requires oxygen.
Glucose
A 37-year- old with a history of diabetes presents with excessive urination and weakness of 2 days’ duration. Her blood glucose level reads 320 mg/dL. If the patient’s condition is not promptly treated, she will most likely develop:
Acidosis and dehydration
In contrast to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes:
Is caused by resistance to insulin at the cellular level
Developd later in life
The EMT should assess for hypoglycemia in small children with a severe illness or injury because:
Children cannot store excess glucose as effectively as adults
Classic signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
Cool, clammy skin Weakness Tachycardia Rapid respirations Strokelike symptoms
A 75-year-old male with type 1 diabetes presents with chest pain and a general feeling of weakness. He tells you that he took his insulin today and ate a regular meal approximately 2 hours ago. You should treat this patient as though he is experiencing:
A heart attack
DELETE
Open and maintain her airway and assess her breathing
What is the proper procedure for administering oral glucose?
Patient is alert and oriented
Clear airway
1g per 1kg of body weight
In sickle cell disease, the red blood cells are abnormally shaped and are less likely to contain _____.
Oxygen
A 66-year-old women experienced a sudden onset of difficulty breathing. She has a history of type 2 diabetes and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). On the basis of her medical history, what should the EMT suspect?
A pulmonary embolism
During your assessment of a 19-year-old male, you are told that he is being treated with factor VIII. This indicates that:
He has hemophilia A
What is a condition that a diabetic person is at an increased risk of developing?
Blindness
You are treating a 40-year-old male with a documented blood sugar reading of 480 mg/dL. The patient is semiconscious and breathing shallowly, and is receiving assisted ventilation from your partner. You should recognize that definitive treatment for this patient includes:
Insulin
Symptomatic hypoglycemia will most likely develop if a patient:
Takes too much of his or her prescribed insulin
Takes insulin without eating
The normal blood glucose level is between:
80 and 120 mg/dL
Excessive eating caused by cellular “hunger” is called:
Polyphagia
The accumulation of ketones and fatty acids in the blood tissue can lead to a dangerous condition known as:
Diabetic ketoacidosis
The onset of hypoglycemia can occur within:
Minutes
Blood glucose levels are measured in:
Milligrams per deciliter
Type 1 diabetes is considered to be a(n) _____ problem, in which the body becomes allergic to its own tissues and literally destroys them.
Autoimmune
What is the name of the chemical produced by a gland that regulates body organs?
Hormones
What hormone enables glucose to enter the cells?
Insulin
Which form of diabetes usually starts in childhood and requires insulin?
Type 1 diabetes
Which form of diabetes has an onset later in life and may be controlled by diet and oral medication?
Type 2 diabetes
What is sickle cell disease?
An inherited disease that affects red blood cells
Sickle shaped
What is hemophilia?
A disorder that causes an inability to develop blood clots
What is thrombophilia?
A tendency to develop blood clots
Define insulin shock
Severe hypoglycemia resulting in an overflow of insulin in the blood
Define diabetic coma
Unconsciousness in a diabetic person as a result of hypoglycemia
Where specifically in the pancreas is insulin produced?
Islets of langerhans
What does hyperglycemia in type 1 diabetes patients lead to?
Ketoacidosis with dehydration from excess urination
What does hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients lead to?
Nonketonic hyperosmolar state of dehydration from discharge of fluids all over the body
Define hyperosmolarity
Very concentrated blood as a result of dehydration
What does DVT stand for
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Who are at increased risk for DVT?
Sedentary patients
Patients who’ve had a recent injury or surgery
