Diabetes Care: Glucose and Insulin Flashcards
7 cards from real LPN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Diabetes Care: Glucose and Insulin flashcards as text
A patient with type 2 diabetes has a fasting blood glucose of 58 mg/dL and reports feeling shaky and sweating. What is the LPN's priority action?
Answer: Give 15 g of fast-acting carbohydrate and recheck glucose in 15 minutes
The 15-15 rule—15 g rapid carbohydrate, recheck in 15 minutes—is the standard first-line treatment for mild-to-moderate hypoglycemia in a conscious patient.
Insulin glargine (Lantus) is prescribed for a diabetic patient. Which statement about this insulin is correct?
Answer: It should never be mixed with other insulins in the same syringe
Glargine is a peakless, long-acting basal insulin whose acidic pH makes it incompatible for mixing with other insulins.
Which injection site allows the fastest absorption of subcutaneous insulin?
Answer: Abdomen
The abdomen provides the fastest and most consistent insulin absorption due to its rich subcutaneous blood supply.
A nurse is teaching a patient how to store an opened vial of regular insulin. Which instruction is correct?
Answer: Keep it at room temperature for up to 28–30 days
An opened vial of most insulins can safely remain at room temperature (below 77°F) for up to 28–30 days; freezing destroys insulin.
A patient on NPH insulin asks why their glucose tends to drop around 2–4 AM. What is the best explanation?
Answer: NPH peaks 6–12 hours after injection, coinciding with nighttime if given at dinner
NPH peaks at 6–12 hours; an evening dose peaks in the early morning hours, which can cause nocturnal hypoglycemia.
Which of the following is a sign of hyperglycemia that an LPN should report to the supervising nurse or physician?
Answer: Polyuria, polydipsia, and blurred vision
Classic hyperglycemia symptoms are the three polys—polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia—plus fatigue and blurred vision; the other options suggest hypoglycemia or unrelated conditions.
When drawing up a combined dose of regular and NPH insulin, in which order should the nurse proceed?
Answer: Inject air into NPH vial, then regular; draw regular first, then NPH
The mnemonic 'clear before cloudy' means draw clear (regular) insulin first to prevent contaminating it with NPH.