After obtaining a history and assessing a client with diabetes mellitus, the nurse can expect to see or gather information about the following clinical symptoms.

Choice A rationale: Polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria, and glycosuria are hallmark clinical manifestations of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Polydipsia is excessive thirst due to hyperosmolarity and dehydration from polyuria. Polyphagia is increased hunger resulting from cellular starvation despite hyperglycemia. Polyuria is frequent urination caused by osmotic diuresis from glucose spilling into the renal tubules, and glycosuria is the presence of glucose in the urine. Choice B rationale: While obesity and excessive sugar consumption are risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes, they are not direct clinical symptoms of the disease itself. They are associated with the metabolic syndrome that often precedes diabetes. The symptoms are the physiological consequences of insulin resistance or deficiency, leading to hyperglycemia. Choice C rationale: While weight loss can occur in uncontrolled diabetes (due to osmotic diuresis and catabolism), nervousness and dysuria are not primary, classic symptoms. Dysuria (painful urination) is more indicative of a urinary tract infection, which can be a complication of diabetes, but not a core symptom. Nervousness is a symptom of hypoglycemia, not typically hyperglycemia. Choice D rationale: A blood glucose level of 90 mg/100 mL is within the normal range (fasting blood glucose is 70–100 mg/dL). Therefore, this finding does not indicate diabetes mellitus. While albumin in the urine (microalbuminuria) is a sign of diabetic nephropathy, a long-term complication, it is not a direct, initial clinical symptom of the disease's onset.