PART I: BACKGROUND ASSESSMENT

Directions: Answer each of the following questions. Your responses should be 3-5 sentences in length for each question.

1. What type of drug is cimetidine? How does it work, for what is it used, and what drug metabolic effect does it have? With what drugs can it interact?

2. What are the structures and functions of the digestive tract, starting at the mouth and ending at the rectum? How does it protect itself from the acids it produces?

3. The adrenal cortical hormones hydrocortisone and cortisone are used to reduce inflammation in conditions such as arthritis, bursitis, and multiple sclerosis (MS). What is a significant limitation of these drugs for treating these disorders? Why can reducing inflammation be potentially dangerous? What are three side effects of these drugs?

4. A patient has recently been given levothyroxine and asks why the drug was prescribed for her. The patient also wants to know if the drug has any side effects and whether she can borrow her husband's liothyronine if she runs out of her levothyroxine. How should the health care professional respond to the patient's questions?

5. What organ of the body is closely involved in water balance? What hormone is involved in this process?

6. Thiazide diuretics control water balance in the body and are prescribed to treat hypertension. How do thiazide diuretics work?

PART II: CRITICAL THINKING

Directions: Please provide responses to questions below. If necessary, please use examples or information from the textbook. Please use proper APA citation for any resources that you use. For concise APA formatting guidelines, please visit the Academic Resource Center (ARC). Your responses should be 1-2 paragraphs in length for each question.

1. A patient tells the health care professional that he has an ulcer and uses sodium bicarbonate for relief. Lately, his ulcer pain has become more frequent and severe, so he is using more and more sodium bicarbonate. How should the health care professional respond to this patient?

2. Is there a set time limit between bowel movements for which a health care professional should become concerned?

3. A patient has recently started taking an oral contraceptive. She asks how it works, what some of the possible side effects are, and if any drug interactions exist of which she should be aware. How should the health care professional respond to the patient's questions?

4. A patient has been diagnosed with Addison disease. She asks what it is, what symptoms she might have, and what treatment is available. What should the health care professional tell her?

5. A patient has been newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus. He wants to know the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and why they happen. He also wants to know how his insulin dose has been calculated. What should the health care professional tell him?

6. A patient has been prescribed an oral contraceptive. She wants to know why the drug contains two hormones. She also wants to know if it will drastically change her sex drive and if different types of contraceptive agents are available. How should the health care professional respond?

7. A patient visits his physician for follow-up care related to his long-standing hypertension and to find out why his ankles are swollen. He has been taking an antihypertensive agent for several years, and today his physician tells him that his blood pressure is very high. The physician prescribes hydrochlorothiazide to help remove the fluid from the patient's legs and to help reduce his blood pressure. Why would the physician prescribe two drugs to treat the patient's hypertension?

8. A patient is being discharged after receiving treatment for a urinary tract infection. The physician has told him that he will need to continue to take trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole at home. The patient asks why he needs to continue to take the drug after his urinary tract infection has been cured. How should the health care professional respond to the patient's question?

9. The patient confides in the health care professional that he is embarrassed about his erectile dysfunction and worries that the cause may be psychologic. How should the health care professional respond to his concern?

PART III: LIRN ACTIVITY

Directions: After reading the LIRN articles included in Module 6 Lecture Notes, please answer each of the following questions. Each question should have a 2 to 3 paragraph response. Remember to support your work with APA references and in-text citations. Please visit the Academic Resource Center (ARC) for concise APA guidelines.

1. What is the cause of diabetes mellitus?

2. What is ketosis?

3. Why is ketosis dangerous?

4. What nutrient must be carefully controlled in the patient with diabetes mellitus?

5. What would happen if the dose of insulin was too high?

6. What would happen if the dose of insulin was too low?

7. Do all patients with diabetes need insulin?

8. Is it possible for a patient to be hypoglycemic and not know it? Who is at risk?

9. Why do so many diabetic patients struggle with the cost and accessibility of their diabetic medications?

10. What are the long-term costs and consequences associated with diabetes treatment?