Nursing care and dietary procedures in the case of a young patient diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease – case study

Introduction
About 15% of patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes might also suffer from celiac disease. Celiac disease accompanying type 1 diabetes may lead to the incidence of hypoglycaemia or ketoacidosis and increased risk of complications such as retinopathy and osteoporosis.

Aim of the study
An analysis of the case of a patient suffering from type 1 diabetes and celiac disease and the presentation of a nursing care plan.

Material and methods
The study describes the case of an 18-year-old female patient who had just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac and was hos-pitalised in September 2017. The information about her medical history and condition was obtained by means of an interview, observa-tion, and analysis of medical records with the application of a survey questionnaire, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS).

Case description and analysis
The main problems of the patient were connected with celiac symptoms: acute diarrhoea, calf cramps, and overweight caused by dietary mistakes. The patient’s deficit of knowledge about dietary procedures had a negative impact on her somatic and mental condition. Accord-ing to the AIS scale, the patient showed a moderate acceptance towards her illness (a score of 35).

Conclusions
Nursing care provided to patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease should aim at recognising knowledge and skill defi-cits, education, and emotional support. Patients’ failure to follow dietary recommendations, nutritional deficiencies, and incorrect eating habits frequently result not only from an unwillingness to change eating habits but also from low quality of consumed gluten-free prod-ucts.