Nursing Care of a Person with Diabetes (HLTENN057)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering diabetes statistics, physiology, types, diagnostic criteria, complications, and nursing management based on Australian clinical standards.

Diabetes Prevalence in Australia

1.5 million Australians have been diagnosed, with more than 300 developing it every day and an estimated 500,000 people undiagnosed.

Indigenous Australian Diabetes Risk

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 3 times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes and 4 times as likely to die from it compared to non-Indigenous Australians.

Pancreas

An organ located posterior to the stomach with an exocrine function for digestion and an endocrine function for blood sugar regulation.

Alpha cells

Cells in the islets of Langerhans that produce glucagon, a hyperglycaemic hormone.

Beta cells

Cells in the islets of Langerhans that produce insulin, a hypoglycaemic hormone.

Insulin

A hormone that unlocks receptor sites in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue to allow glucose entry and promotes storage of extra glucose in the liver.

Glucagon

A hormone released in response to low BGL that stimulates the breakdown of glycogen into glucose and stimulates glucose production from amino acids.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

An autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells, often with a sudden onset and requiring exogenous insulin for life.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

A condition characterized by insulin resistance and/or insulin deficiency, often linked to modifiable risk factors like obesity and physical inactivity.

Polyuria

The production of abnormally large volumes of dilute urine, caused by high BGL and osmotic effects.

Polydipsia

Abnormal thirst as a symptom of diabetes and polyuria.

Polyphagia

Excessive hunger or increased appetite caused by cells being deprived of energy.

HbA1c

A test showing average BGL over the last 12 weeks by measuring glucose attached to haemoglobin; normal range is less than or equal to $6.5\%$ ($48\,mmol/mol$).

Fasting BGL Diagnostic Criteria

Greater than or equal to $7\,mmol/L$ on 2 occasions.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) Criteria

BGL greater than or equal to $11.1\,mmol/L$ measured 2 hours after a drink containing $75\,g$ of carbohydrates.

AUSDRISK tool

A tool used to target people at high risk of developing diabetes based on lifestyle and health factors.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)

Insulin insufficiency during pregnancy, often developing around the 24th-28th week due to placental hormones blocking mother's insulin.

Hypoglycaemia

A condition where BGL drops below $4\,mmol/L$, causing symptoms like shaking, diaphoresis, and anxiety.

Treatment for Conscious Hypoglycaemia

Consume $15\,g$ of fast-acting carbohydrate (e.g., 5 jelly beans), wait 15 minutes, recheck BGL, and then eat a long-acting carbohydrate snack.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

A life-threatening complication of Type 1 diabetes featuring hyperglycaemia, breakdown of fat (lipolysis), and the presence of ketone bodies.

Kussmaul respiration

Rapid, deep breathing associated with dyspnea, used by the body to reverse metabolic acidosis by exhaling excess carbon dioxide.

Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS)

A complication of Type 2 diabetes involving very high BGL and dehydration but no breakdown of muscles or ketones.

Peripheral Neuropathy

Microvascular damage leading to inflammation and degeneration of nerves, causing numbness or tingling and increasing injury risk.

Retinopathy

Damage to blood vessels in the retina resulting in hemorrhages, leaking blood, and affecting vision.

Nephropathy

Damage to the nephrons in the kidney, often detected early by the presence of albumin in urine (microalbuminuria).

Atherosclerosis

The build-up of fatty plaques and hardening of arteries, which diabetes speeds up, increasing the risk of AMI and stroke.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)

A wearable device that measures glucose levels in the interstitial fluid 24/24 and can alarm for high or low BGL.

Biguanides (Metformin)

Medication that increases insulin sensitivity, decreases liver glucose release, and should be withheld 48 hours before surgery or IV contrast scans.

Sulphonylureas

A class of drug that stimulates beta cells to release more insulin; must be taken with meals to avoid hypoglycaemia.

SGLT-2 inhibitors

Medications that allow the excretion of glucose in the urine rather than returning it to the bloodstream.

Lipohypertrophy

An injury to fatty tissue caused by repeated insulin injections in the same spot, avoided by site rotation.

Basal insulin

Background, long-acting insulin that works steadily over a long duration.

Bolus insulin

Rapid-acting insulin administered to manage glucose rises from meals.

Health Literacy

The degree to which individuals can obtain and understand health information to make decisions and follow treatment instructions.

GP Management Plan (GPMP)

A chronic condition plan developed by a GP, nurse, and patient to manage healthcare needs.

Team Care Arrangement (TCA)

A plan involving a GP and 2 allied health workers providing 5 subsidised appointments per year.