Nokea
Following chemotherapy, a patient is being closely monitored for tumor lysis syndrome. Which laboratory value requires particular attention?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tumor lysis syndrome, a post-chemotherapy emergency, floods blood with cell breakdown products potassium, phosphate, uric acid disrupting electrolytes, risking renal failure or cardiac arrest. Monitoring electrolytes is critical to catch hyperkalemia or hyperphosphatemia, guiding urgent correction like dialysis. Platelets drop with chemotherapy but aren't TLS-specific. Hemoglobin and hematocrit track anemia, not lysis effects. Electrolytes' volatility in TLS demands focus abnormalities signal escalating danger, a nurse's lifeline to intervene, ensuring rapid response to this metabolic storm in cancer treatment's wake.