Pediatrics HESI 2023 Related

Review Pediatrics HESI 2023 related questions and content

A nurse is reviewing the laboratory report of a child with tetralogy of Fallot that indicates an elevated RBC count. What does the nurse identify as the cause of the polycythemia?

  • A. Low tissue oxygen needs
  • B. Tissue oxygen needs
  • C. Diminished iron levels
  • D. Hypertrophic cardiac muscle
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Tissue oxygen needs. Polycythemia occurs in response to chronic hypoxia, leading the body to increase red blood cell production to enhance oxygen delivery. In tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that results in reduced oxygen levels in the blood, the body compensates by producing more red blood cells. Choice A is incorrect as low tissue oxygen needs would not trigger polycythemia. Choice C, diminished iron levels, is not the cause of polycythemia in this case. Choice D, hypertrophic cardiac muscle, is unrelated to the pathophysiology of polycythemia in tetralogy of Fallot.