ATI Pediatric Medications Test Related

Review ATI Pediatric Medications Test related questions and content

Nana Esi is an 11-year-old girl diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). She asks her attending nurse why she can't take a pill rather than shots like her grandmother does. Which of the following would be the nurse's best reply?

  • A. If your blood glucose levels are controlled, you can switch to using pills.
  • B. The pills correct fat and protein metabolism, not carbohydrate metabolism.
  • C. Your body does not make insulin, so the insulin injections help to replace it.
  • D. The pills work on the adult pancreas; you can switch when you are 18.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The nurse's best reply to Nana Esi is option C: 'Your body does not make insulin, so the insulin injections help to replace it.' In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, individuals with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, necessitating insulin injections for survival. Option A is incorrect as type 1 diabetes always requires insulin therapy. Option B is inaccurate as pills do not replace the function of insulin. Option D is also incorrect as there is no age restriction on using insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes.