A nurse is caring for a pregnant woman who has gestational diabetes and is of African-Caribbean origin.

The nurse should recognize that the woman's ethnicity is associated with which of the following characteristics?

The correct answer is choice A. Sublingual.

The nurse should use the sublingual route to administer the glucose, which means placing the glucose under the tongue of the woman.This route allows for faster absorption of glucose into the bloodstream than the oral route, which involves swallowing the glucose.This is especially important for a pregnant woman with gestational diabetes and hyperglycemia, who needs to lower her blood sugar levels quickly to avoid complications for herself and her baby.

Choice B. Buccal is wrong because it means placing the glucose inside the cheek against the buccal mucosa.This route has been shown to result in a lower plasma glucose concentration than the oral route, which is not desirable for a woman with hyperglycemia.

Choice C. Oropharyngeal is wrong because it means placing the glucose in the back of the mouth near the throat.This route is not recommended for glucose administration because it can cause choking or aspiration.

Choice D. Nasogastric is wrong because it means inserting a tube through the nose into the stomach and delivering the glucose through the tube.This route is invasive and unnecessary for glucose administration, unless the woman is unable to take glucose by mouth.

Normal ranges for blood glucose levels during pregnancy are 3.5 to 5.9 mmol/l before meals and less than 7.8 mmol/l one hour after meals.

The correct answer is choice C. Elevated urine specific gravity.

This is because hyperglycemia causes osmotic diuresis, which increases the concentration of solutes in the urine.

Urine specific gravity is a measure of the density of urine compared to water and reflects the amount of solutes in the urine.A normal range for urine specific gravity is 1.005 to 1.030.

Choice A is wrong because elevated serum ketones are a sign of ketoacidosis, which is a complication of diabetes mellitus type 1, not gestational diabetes.Ketoacidosis occurs when the body breaks down fat for energy due to insufficient insulin and produces ketones, which are acidic byproducts that can lower the blood pH.

Choice B is wrong because decreased serum osmolality indicates dilution of the blood, which can be caused by excessive fluid intake, diuretic use, or syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH).

Serum osmolality is a measure of the concentration of solutes in the blood and reflects the balance between water and electrolytes.A normal range for serum osmolality is 275 to 295 mOsm/kg.

Choice D is wrong because decreased blood pH indicates acidosis, which can be caused by ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, renal failure, or respiratory failure.

Blood pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the blood and reflects the balance between carbon dioxide and bicarbonate.A normal range for blood pH is 7.35 to 7.45.