Diabetes mellitus
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Endocrinehigh priorityneeds review
Diabetes mellitus
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Insulin deficiency, insulin resistance, or both.
- Glucose cannot enter cells effectively, causing hyperglycemia and vascular/nerve complications.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Insulins | Insulin replacement or control depending on diabetes type and severity. |
Nursing actions
- Monitor glucose, hypoglycemia signs, foot care, infection risk, and diet/med timing.
- Teach sick-day rules and when to seek care.
- Inspect feet and promote routine eye/kidney follow-up.
Complications
- Hypoglycemia
- DKA/HHS
- Neuropathy
- Kidney disease
- Retinopathy
NCLEX cues
- Polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia.
- Never ignore low glucose symptoms.
Memory hooks
- Diabetes is sugar in blood, starving cells.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.