An older woman who has diabetes mellitus takes glipizide (Glucotrol)and tells the nurse that her blood sugar levels have been higher than normal since she began using a vaginal cream for hot flashes.Which one of the following interventions is the best for the nurse to implement?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Vaginal cream prescribed for hot flashes potentially contains estrogen as an active ingredient; estrogen is effective therapy to reduce hot flashes.Unfortunately,estrogen impairs the hypoglycemic effect of sulfonylurea hypoglycemic medications.If the estrogen therapy continues,then the nurse should assist this individual in adjusting her diet and exercise regimen in coordination with her antidiabetic medication to maintain stable blood sugar levels.Asking whether she has had a fever or infection recently is a reasonable question because infection increases the blood sugar of an individual with diabetes mellitus; however,because the hyperglycemia is associated with the vaginal cream,the most likely contributor to the problem is the vaginal cream,which is a good place to start the investigation.Verifying the expiration date of the medication is a reasonable task to implement; however,ineffective medication would not have the desired hypoglycemic effect.Reviewing her diet for increased carbohydrates is a reasonable task to implement because a glucose load will increase blood sugar levels.

An Older Woman Who Has Diabetes Mellitus Takes Glipizide (Glucotrol)and