RN Nursing Care of Children 2019 With NGN Related

Review RN Nursing Care of Children 2019 With NGN related questions and content

The mother of a child with type 1 diabetes asks the nurse why her child cannot avoid all those 'shots' and take pills like an uncle does. How should the nurse respond?

  • A. The pills work with adult pancreases only.
  • B. Your child needs insulin replaced, and the oral hypoglycemic only add to an existing supply of insulin.
  • C. The drugs affect fat and protein metabolism, not sugar.
  • D. Perhaps when your child is older the pancreas will produce its own insulin, and then your child can take oral hypoglycemic agents.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. Children with type 1 diabetes require insulin replacement because their pancreas produces little or no insulin. Oral hypoglycemics used in type 2 diabetes work by improving the effectiveness of insulin the body already makes, which is not sufficient in type 1 diabetes. Choice A is incorrect because the issue is not about the pancreas being adult or child-specific but rather the type of diabetes. Choice C is incorrect because it misstates the mechanism of action of the medications. Choice D is incorrect because it provides inaccurate information about the potential for the child's pancreas to produce insulin in the future, which is unlikely in type 1 diabetes.