You are treating a patient who recently underwent a total pancreatectomy due to pancreatic cancer. Your patient will require exogenous insulin for the same reasons as an individual with Type 1 diabetes. However, a diabetic patient will require more insulin than your pancreatectomy patient because the diabetic patient also has which of the following characteristics?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In addition to the loss of insulin secretion typical of T1D, there is abnormal function of pancreatic a-cells. There is excessive secretion of glucagon in T1D patients. Normally, hyperglycemia leads to reduced glucagon secretion. However, in patients with T1D, glucagon secretion is not suppressed by hyperglycemia. The resultant inappropriately elevated glucagon level exacerbates the metabolic defects due to insulin deficiency.

You Are Treating a Patient Who Recently Underwent a Total