Assessment Practice
Clinical Case Studies
A CASE OF DIABETES
Look at this clinical case study and answer the questions
Case Study 5. Dexter.
Diagnosing
- Dexter – a farm manager had to go into hospital for a hernia repair.
- The following day the ward doctor mentioned that the routine blood test had shown high levels of sugar in Dexter’s blood and that Dexter was diabetic.
- “So will I have to inject myself with insulin?” asked Dexter.
- The doctor said this wouldn’t be necessary, but that Dexter was overweight and needed to control his food intake in order to manage his diabetes.
Clinical questions
1. Where did the sugar in Dexter’s blood come from?
2. The substance is in fact a specific form of simple sugar. What is its name?
3. Why did Dexter mention insulin?
4. Where is insulin made? (Specific location needed)
5. Why is insulin usually injected rather than taken orally?
6. The doctor said insulin was unnecessary; why?
7. Where is the liver located?
8. Research new drugs for this type of diabetes and explain how two of them work.
9. Give possible adverse side effects of these two drugs.