Cellulitis as a Symptom of Diabetes

Cellulitis as a Symptom of Diabetes Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects the regulation of blood sugar levels. At the pre-diabetic stage, the patient might be asymptomatic or might present with mild symptoms.

Diabetes is associated with symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and blurred vision among others. It also increases the risks of a person to develop several secondary complications such as neuropathy, kidney disease, retinopathy and foot disease among others.

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DISCUSSION QUESTION

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In the case study, Mrs. G presents with cellulitis (Kee, 2016). She has a wound on her lower left leg that is infected with staphylococcus aureus. She complains of pain and heaviness on the leg and manages it by applying heat pads. Her lab results indicate an increased WBC count with neutrophilia. For treatment, I would recommend a sensitivity test to determine the best antimicrobial drug to be used. An antibiotic therapy alongside proper wound care by washing and dressing appropriately is recommended.

Cellulitis mostly affects the skin and soft tissues (Kee, 2016). All layers of the skin including the dermis, epidermal and the subcutaneous layers could be affected in the Mrs. G’s case. Deeper layers such as the sub cutis and the hypodermis can also be affected.

Both the subjective and objective data are useful while assessing a patient. The subjective data indicates how the patient feels, measures taken and the health risks involved. From Mrs. G’s case, cooking and the use of heat pads for pain could have caused an accidental burn due to neuropathies associated with diabetes. Objective data provides the actual diagnosis of the patient’s condition and helps in determining the correct treatment.

The factor that could delay wound healing, in this case, is her diabetes. Diabetes impairs wound healing through hyperglycemia induced oxidative stress, neuropathies, and dysregulated cellular functions. The patient should, therefore, meet and maintain the recommended therapeutic goal for her blood sugar levels. If need be, topical application of insulin cream can be used to accelerate wound healing (Krasner et al., 2012).

DISCUSSION QUESTION

3 References

Kee, K. (2016). Cellulitis, a simple guide to the condition, diagnosis, treatment and related conditions. Los Gatos, CA: Smashwords Edition.

Krasner, D., Rodeheaver, G., Woo, K., & Sibbald, G. (2012). Chronic wound care 5. Malvern, PA: HMP Communications, LLC.