A 75-year-old woman walks into the emergency department with complaints of "not feeling well." Her blood pressure is 145/95, pulse 85 beats/min, respirations 24 breaths/min, and blood sugar 300. Upon inspection, the nurse notices that the woman has an open wound on the bottom of her foot, but the patient states she is not aware of this. How should the nurse interpret these findings?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This degree of sensory impairment at this age is not expected. Lack of sensation does not imply lack of knowledge, but rather decreased ability to perceive the stimuli. Anti-hypertensive medication does not typically cause decreased skin sensation. This is more common in antineoplastic drugs. Most likely the patient has diabetes, which is causing decreased sensation. Not feeling well is secondary to a change in blood sugar as a result of the wound response.

A 75-Year-Old Woman Walks into the Emergency Department with Complaints