Nokea
A patient comes into the clinic complaining of fatigue. Blood work shows an increased bilirubin concentration and an increased reticulocyte count. What would the nurse suspect the patient has?
- A. A hypoproliferative anemia
- B. A leukemia
- C. Thrombocytopenia
- D. A hemolytic anemia
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In hemolytic anemias, premature destruction of erythrocytes results in the liberation of hemoglobin from the erythrocytes into the plasma; the released hemoglobin is converted in large part to bilirubin, and therefore the bilirubin concentration rises. The increased erythrocyte destruction leads to tissue hypoxia, which in turn stimulates erythropoietin production. This increased production is reflected in an increased reticulocyte count as the bone marrow responds to the loss of erythrocytes. Hypoproliferative anemias, leukemia, and thrombocytopenia lack this pathology and presentation.
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A nurse is providing education to a patient with iron deficiency anemia who has been prescribed iron supplements. What should the nurse include in health education?
- A. Take the iron with dairy products to enhance absorption.
- B. Increase the intake of vitamin E to enhance absorption.
- C. Iron will cause the stools to darken in color.
- D. Limit foods high in fiber due to the risk for diarrhea.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse will inform the patient that iron will cause the stools to become dark in color. Iron should be taken on an empty stomach, as its absorption is affected by food, especially dairy products. Patients should be instructed to increase their intake of vitamin C to enhance iron absorption. Foods high in fiber should be consumed to minimize problems with constipation, a common side effect associated with iron therapy.
A nurse is a long-term care facility is admitting a new resident who has a bleeding disorder. When planning this resident's care, the nurse should include which of the following?
- A. Housing the resident in a private room
- B. Implementing a passive ROM program to compensate for activity limitation
- C. Implementing of a plan for fall prevention
- D. Providing the patient with a high-fiber diet
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: To prevent bleeding episodes, the nurse should ensure that an older adult with a bleeding disorder does not suffer a fall. Activity limitation is not necessarily required, however. A private room is not necessary and there is no reason to increase fiber intake.
A nurse is caring for a patient who has sickle cell anemia and the nurses assessment reveals the possibility of substance abuse. What is the nurses most appropriate action?
- A. Encourage the patient to rely on complementary and alternative therapies.
- B. Encourage the patient to seek care from a single provider for pain relief.
- C. Teach the patient to accept chronic pain as an inevitable aspect of the disease.
- D. Limit the reporting of emergency department visits to the primary health care provider.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The patient should be encouraged to use a single primary health care provider to address health care concerns. Emergency department visits should be reported to the primary health care provider to achieve optimal management of the disease. It would be inappropriate to teach the patient to simply accept his or her pain. Complementary therapies are usually insufficient to fully address pain in sickle cell disease.
A patient is being treated on the medical unit for a sickle cell crisis. The nurse's most recent assessment reveals an oral temperature of 100.5°F and a new onset of fine crackles on lung auscultation. What is the nurse's most appropriate action?
- A. Apply supplementary oxygen by nasal cannula.
- B. Administer bronchodilators by nebulizer.
- C. Liaise with the respiratory therapist and consider high-flow oxygen.
- D. Inform the primary care provider that the patient may have an infection.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Patients with sickle cell disease are highly susceptible to infection; thus any early signs of infection should be reported promptly. There is no evidence of respiratory distress, so oxygen therapy and bronchodilators are not indicated.
A patient with Von Willebrand disease (vWD) has experienced recent changes in bowel function that suggest the need for a screening colonoscopy. What intervention should be performed in anticipation of this procedure?
- A. The patient should not undergo the normal bowel cleansing protocol prior to the procedure.
- B. The patient should receive a unit of fresh-frozen plasma 48 hours before the procedure.
- C. The patient should be admitted to the surgical unit on the day before the procedure.
- D. The patient should be given necessary clotting factors before the procedure.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A goal of treating vWD is to replace the deficient protein (e.g., vWF or factor VIII) prior to an invasive procedure to prevent subsequent bleeding. Bowel cleansing is not contraindicated and FFP does not reduce the patient's risk of bleeding. There may or may not be a need for preprocedure hospital admission.