The Hematologic System ATI Related

Review The Hematologic System ATI related questions and content

A 16-year-old female patient with severe factor XI deficiency presents with acute appendicitis and requires urgent surgery. You are called by the surgeon, who wants to know what, if any, blood products or treatments are required to reduce the risk of perioperative bleeding. The patient weighs 62 kg. What should you tell him to administer?

  • A. Cryoprecipitate (five units), which will likely raise her factor XI level to 20%
  • B. Factor XI concentrate (20 units/kg), which will raise her factor XI level to 20%
  • C. Fresh frozen plasma (20 mL/kg), which will raise her factor XI level to 20%
  • D. Prothrombin complex concentrate (40 units/kg), which will raise her factor XI level to 20%
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Fresh frozen plasma (20 mL/kg), which will raise her factor XI level to 20%. Fresh frozen plasma contains various clotting factors, including factor XI. In a patient with severe factor XI deficiency, administering fresh frozen plasma can increase factor XI levels and help reduce the risk of perioperative bleeding. The dose of 20 mL/kg is appropriate for this patient's weight of 62 kg. Cryoprecipitate (choice A) may contain factor XI but is not the optimal choice for raising factor XI levels specifically. Factor XI concentrate (choice B) would be ideal but is not commonly available, making fresh frozen plasma a more practical option. Prothrombin complex concentrate (choice D) primarily contains factors II, VII, IX, and X, but not factor XI, so it would not effectively raise factor XI levels in this patient.