Editing Nutrition – LPN Practice Questions (section)

==Question 8==
A client with type 1 diabetes who is alert and able to swallow has a capillary blood glucose of 58 mg/dL. Which action should the LPN take first?
# Give 4 ounces of regular fruit juice.
# Give a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk.
# Notify the registered nurse and wait for further direction.
# Recheck the glucose in 30 minutes before intervening.

'''Answer:''' 1. Give 4 ounces of regular fruit juice.

''Rationale:'' For a conscious client who can swallow, hypoglycemia is treated with the rule of 15: give 15 g of fast-acting carbohydrate, such as 4 ounces of regular juice or regular soda, glucose tablets, or 1 tablespoon of honey, then recheck the glucose in 15 minutes and repeat if it is still below 70 mg/dL. Option 2 contains fat and protein, which slow absorption; that combination is the follow-up snack after the glucose has come up, not the initial treatment. Option 3 delays treatment for a condition that can progress to seizure and loss of consciousness; the RN is notified after the client is treated. Option 4 leaves the client hypoglycemic for a further 30 minutes.