Question 15: Mr. D, a 19-year-old college student has been b…
Question 15: Mr. D, a 19-year-old college student has been brought to the emergency room by his roommate. Mr. D reports abdominal pain, polyuria, vomiting, and thirst. He appears flushed, and his lips and mucous membranes are dry and cracked. His skin turgor is greater than 3 seconds. He has deep, rapid respirations, and a fruity odor to his breath. He has a history of Type 1 diabetes. He states “I was cramming for finals and have missed a few doses of insulin”. He is alert but is having trouble focusing on the nurse’s questions. Mr. D’s vital signs and blood glucose are as follows: Blood glucose fingerstick level 685 mg/dL Blood pressure 100/60 mm/Hg Heart rate 120 beats/min4 Respiratory Rate 32 breaths/min Temperature 100.8o F (38.2o C) The arterial blood gas results for Mr. D are: pH 7.25 PaO2 97 mm/Hg PaCO2 25 mm/Hg Bicarbonate 15 mEq/L The HCP ordered an insulin drip for Mr. D to begin at 0.1 units/kg/hr. Mr. D weigh 155 lbs. The pharmacy delivers a premixed bag of 100 units of regular insulin in 100 mL of normal saline. The nurse calculated the infusion pump setting as 10 mL/hr. (Round the weight calculation was to the nearest whole number). What should the charge nurse do to ensure safe administration of this medication?