NR 325 Week 1 Endocrine Disorders – Worksheet

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Chamberlain University

NR-325 Adult Health II

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NR 325 Endocrine Disorders – Worksheet

Student Name: [Insert Name]
Date: [Insert Date]
Assignment Week/Day: Week 1

This worksheet explores the key takeaways and critical points for understanding various endocrine disorders, focusing on their pathophysiology, clinical presentations, diagnostic tests, and appropriate nursing interventions.

Endocrine Disorders Table

Disorder	Pathophysiology and Etiology	Management and Complications
Diabetes Mellitus Type I	Autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, resulting in insulin deficiency. Often presents in younger individuals and constitutes 5–10% of all diabetes cases. Risk factors include genetic predisposition and viral triggers.	Management includes insulin therapy, nutritional adjustments, and patient education on glycemic control. Complications include ketoacidosis and metabolic acidosis.
Diabetes Mellitus Type II	Characterized by insulin resistance and a relative deficiency of insulin. Common risk factors are obesity, age, and family history. It comprises 90–95% of diabetes cases.	Lifestyle interventions like diet and exercise are essential, alongside oral hypoglycemics or insulin. Complications may include delayed wound healing and visual impairments.
Acromegaly	Excess growth hormone production after puberty, often due to a pituitary adenoma. Before puberty, the condition manifests as gigantism.	Surgical removal of the tumor, medications like bromocriptine, and monitoring for complications like bone fragility and cerebrospinal fluid leakage.

Example in Paragraph Form

Diabetes Mellitus Type I

Diabetes Mellitus Type I, an autoimmune disorder, primarily affects individuals under 40 years old but can occur at any age. It involves the destruction of pancreatic beta cells, leading to a complete deficiency of insulin. Common symptoms include hyperglycemia, weight loss, polydipsia, polyuria, and polyphagia. Diagnosis often relies on elevated hemoglobin A1C levels or fasting plasma glucose tests. Management focuses on insulin therapy, dietary control, and exercise to prevent complications like metabolic acidosis.

Acromegaly

Acromegaly results from excessive growth hormone secretion, typically caused by a benign pituitary tumor. This condition manifests as enlarged facial features, hands, and feet, with symptoms such as fatigue and joint pain. Diagnosis involves growth hormone suppression tests and imaging studies. Treatment may include surgery, medications to inhibit growth hormone, or radiation therapy. Without treatment, patients are at risk for severe complications, including cardiovascular disease and skeletal deformities.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2023). Standards of medical care in diabetes. Diabetes Care, 46(Suppl. 1), S1–S168.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2022). Diabetes overview. Retrieved from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/