Describe how diabetes mellitus puts patients at increased risk ...

[dalyningkenk]

Describe how diabetes mellitus puts patients at increased risk for osteomyelitis and possible amputation.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Explain the phrase distal median nerve latency in layman's terms.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[bpool94]

Answer to Question 1

Diabetes causes microangiopathy (disease of the capillaries). Nonfunctioning capillaries in the extremities reduce blood flow and hinder maintenance and repair of tissues served by the damaged capillaries. Areas of bone with decreased oxygen and nutrients become necrotic and susceptible to infection. The infection is difficult to control because there is little to no blood supply to the area, hence no access for white cells or antibiotics. Once the bone is necrotic and chronically infected, it must be removed (amputated).

Answer to Question 2

Distal refers to points farthest away from the origin or from the center. A distal nerve is one that is at the farthest point from the nerve's origin. A median nerve typically describes a nerve that is positioned in the middle of other nerves lying adjacent to it. Latent means dormant or less detectable. Distal median nerve latency refers to a condition affecting the middle nerve running through the wrist (the median nerve) causing the nerve to be less responsive or unresponsive to electrical stimulation.