Alterations of the Endocrine Function
C.B. is a significantly overweight, 48-year-old woman from the Winnebago Indian tribe who had high blood sugar and cholesterol levels three years ago but did not follow up with a clinical diagnostic work-up. She had participated in the state’s annual health screening program and noticed that her fasting blood sugar was 141 and her cholesterol was 225. However, she felt “perfectly fine at the time†and could not afford any more medications. Except for a number of “female infections,†she has felt fine until recently. Today, she presents to the Indian Hospital general practitioner complaining that her left foot has been weak and numb for nearly three weeks and that the foot is difficult to flex. She denies any other weakness or numbness at this time. However, she reports that she has been very thirsty lately and gets up more often at night to urinate. She has attributed these symptoms to the extremely warm weather and drinking more water to keep hydrated. She has gained a total of 65 pounds since her last pregnancy 14 years ago, 15 pounds in the last 6 months alone.
Case Study Questions
- Clinical signs are objective manifestations of a disease that can be identified by someone other than the patient. List a minimum of four signs from the case study above that support a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in this patient.
- Why do stress and infection promote hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes?
- Why should medications other than glipizide or glyburide be considered for management of diabetes in this patient?
Case Study 2: Alterations of the Digestive Systems Function
R.H. is a 74-year-old black woman, who presents to the family practice clinic for a scheduled appointment. She complains of feeling bloated and constipated for the past month, some-times going an entire week with only one bowel movement. Until this episode, she has been very regular all of her life, having a bowel movement every day or every other day. She reports straining most of the time and it often takes her 10 minutes at a minimum to initiate a bowel movement. Stools have been extremely hard. She denies pain during straining. A recent colonoscopy was negative for tumors or other lesions. She has not yet taken any medications to provide relief for her constipation. Furthermore, she reports frequent heartburn (3–4 times each week), most often occur-ring soon after retiring to bed. She uses three pillows to keep herself in a more upright position during sleep. On a friend’s advice, she purchased a package of over-the-counter aluminum hydroxide tablets to help relieve the heartburn. She has had some improvement since she began taking the medicine. She reports using naproxen as needed for arthritic pain her hands and knees. She states that her hands and knees are extremely stiff when she rises in the morning. Because her arthritis has been getting worse, she has stopped taking her daily walks and now gets very little exercise.
Case Study Question
- List a minimum of five risk factors that may be contributing to constipation.
- List five clinical signs and symptoms that are consistent with constipation.
- Why is anemia not a suspected complication of this condition?
- Would a urinalysis, series of liver function tests, or serum uric acid level be appropriate for this patient?
Submission Instructions:
- You must complete both case studies.
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words per case study, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
- Grading Rubric
Your assignment will be graded according to the grading rubric.
Discussion Rubric Criteria Ratings Points Identification of Main Issues, Problems, and Concepts 5 points
DistinguishedIdentify and demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the issues, problems, and concepts.4 points
ExcellentIdentifies and demonstrate an accomplished understanding of most of issues, problems, and concepts.2 points
FairIdentifies and demonstrate an acceptable understanding of most of issues, problems, and concepts.1 points
PoorIdentifies and demonstrate an unacceptable understanding of most of issues, problems, and concepts.5 points Use of Citations, Writing Mechanics and APA Formatting Guidelines 3 points
DistinguishedEffectively uses the literature and other resources to inform their work. Exceptional use of citations and extended referencing. High level of APA precision and free of grammar and spelling errors.2 points
ExcellentEffectively uses the literature and other resources to inform their work. Moderate use of citations and extended referencing. Moderate level of APA precision and free of grammar and spelling errors.1 point
FairIneffectively uses the literature and other resources to inform their work. Moderate use of citations and extended referencing. APA style and writing mechanics need more precision and attention to detail.0 point
PoorIneffectively uses the literature and other resources to inform their work. An unacceptable use of citations and extended referencing. APA style and writing mechanics need serious attention.3 points Response to Posts of Peers 2 points
DistinguishedStudent constructively responded to two other posts and either extended, expanded or provided a rebuttal to each.1 points
FairStudent constructively responded to one other post and either extended, expanded or provided a rebuttal.0 point
PoorStudent provided no response to a peer’s post.2 points
