Nursing Students General Students
Published Nov 14, 2014
cforester
1 Post
Hello,
I am a first year nursing student and I was wondering if someone could explain to me the reason why patients with COPD can also have an elevated blood sugar when they have no history of diabetes. I know that it has something to do with the inflammation that comes with COPD but I don't understand the specifics.
Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN
907 Posts
The inflammatory state is stressful to the body and thus cortisol is secreted which can cause hyperglycemia; also if patients are on long term cortico-steroid treatment they can and usually exhibit high blood glucose levels.
classicdame, MSN, EdD
7,255 Posts
I had a patient tell me the only time he got insulin was in the hospital. What he did not understand was he was in the hospital due to a COPD exacerbation and required steroids which led to hyperglycemia and insulin therapy. Outside the hospital he did not check his blood sugar, but I bet it was elevated most of the time.