Nokea
A nurse who works in an oncology clinic is assessing a patient who has arrived for a 2-month follow-up appointment following chemotherapy. The nurse notes that the patient's skin appears yellow. Which blood tests should be done to further explore this clinical sign?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Yellow skin signals jaundice, often tied to liver dysfunction, a frequent issue post-chemotherapy due to metastatic spread or drug toxicity. Liver function tests (LFTs) like ALT, AST, and bilirubin directly assess liver health, pinpointing if metastases or chemo agents (e.g., hepatotoxic drugs like methotrexate) are at play. A CBC might show anemia or infection but doesn't target liver issues. Platelet count could hint at clotting problems, possibly liver-related, but it's too narrow. Blood urea nitrogen and creatinine check kidney function, not liver, despite both organs handling chemo clearance. Since the liver's a common metastatic site especially from cancers like breast or lung LFTs are the go-to here, guiding the nurse to catch complications early and adjust care, critical in oncology follow-ups.