Drugs Used in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

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Drugs Used in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus
1) What is your differential diagnosis? (1 pt)
The differential diagnosis includes hyperglycemia, type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes since the patient presents with elevated blood glucose levels and symptoms of diabetes mellitus including excessive urination (polyuria), excessive thirst (polydipsia), hunger, and fatigue (Tindall, Sedrak, and Boltri 223). These conditions could also be suspected considering that the patient has a family history of hypertension and other risk factors including age and race.
2) As her NP, what lifestyle modifications would be your first line of teaching? (2 pts)
Lifestyle intervention considered by the American Diabetes Association as a first step in the management of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (Tindall, Sedrak, and Boltri 224). Therefore, the patient needs to be educated about lifestyle modifications that promote healthy living could help in the management of their condition. These include consuming a healthy diet that is rich in nutrients but contains low fat and calories. A nurse practitioner would also teach the patient about the benefit of regular physical activity that is associated with weight reduction and maintaining blood glucose levels.
3) What lab tests will you order to evaluate her blood sugar profile further? (1 pt)
In order to evaluate the patient’s blood sugar profile further, various laboratory tests should be ordered.

According to the American Diabetes Association (2015), two criteria may be used to diagnose diabetes. They include A1C and plasma glucose criteria with the latter involving two tests: 2-h plasma glucose following a 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and fasting plasma glucose. The OGTT glucose level of > 199 mg/dL (11.0 mmol/L) while FPP level of ≥ 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) and A1C level of > 6.5% on two separate times indicate the presence of diabetes. A random blood sugar of 200mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) with the presenting classic diabetes symptoms such as polyuria, polydipsia, and fatigue can be used to diagnose diabetes. In order to identify the type of diabetes, other tests including C peptide and antibody testing for type 1 and type 2 diabetes respectively could be ordered.
4) What is the initial medication you would like to prescribe to this patient? (1 pt)
The initial medication to prescribe to this patient is metformin as it is the recommended initial drug therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus in the absence of any contraindications (Tindall, Sedrak, and Boltri 224).
Works Cited
American Diabetes Association. “2. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes.” Diabetes Care 38. Supplement 1 (2015): S8-S16.
Tindall, William N., Mona Sedrak, and John Boltri. Patient-Centered Pharmacology: Learning System for the Conscientious Prescribe. FA Davis, 2014.