A 56 year-old obese male, living alone in Chicago, was found dead in his home. Patient presented with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gout. Feet were swollen and necrotic along with poor vision. High levels of ketones were found in the urine and toxicology reports came back with metformin, glyburide, and novolin-N in the system
Description of Gross Lesions:
External Examination:
Respiratory System: I examined the trachea and saw it in good shape and health. The right and left lungs look normal and strong. I examined the lobes and bronchus and they all looked fine. This patient's respiratory system was not affected by the disease.
Immune System: I examined the Immune System. I examined the inside of the pancreas. I saw that the pancreas was producing less insulin, and more glucose was going into the blood. This means insulin moves less glucose to the cells, making them weak. This made it easier to get infections because the response in the immune system is much lower. This was why the patient also had necrotic and swollen feet. He may have noticed or he was trying to take care of it, but because they have type 2 diabetes the recovery time will take awhile. The patient was taking Metformin, Novolin N, and Glyburide, which are medications that helps control blood sugar levels. These medications would help lower blood sugar when to high, and help restore the way you use food to make energy. …show more content…
I looked at the kidney and it was smaller than a regular healthy kidney. A kidney that has been affected by diabetes has protein leaking, that protein is in the urine. I examined the urine remaining in the bladder and saw ketones. Ketones are “made” when there is not enough glucose to produce enough energy (ATP), so the body will switch to using body fats, increasing the amount of ketones. The male was obese so this is why there were high levels of ketones found in the