Nokea
A complete blood workup is ordered for a 5 month old with tetralogy of Fallot. Because of the infant's heart disease, the nurse would expect the report to show:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that affects the flow of blood through the heart. In this condition, there is decreased pulmonary blood flow leading to reduced oxygenation of the blood. To compensate for the low oxygen levels in the blood, the body may increase the production of red blood cells, resulting in polycythemia (an increased red blood cell count). This is the body's way of trying to ensure that enough oxygen is carried to the tissues despite the heart defect. Therefore, in a 5-month-old infant with tetralogy of Fallot, the nurse would expect the blood workup to show polycythemia.