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Which of the following actions should the nurse include in the care plan for a hospitalized patient who is neutropenic?
- A. Avoid any IM or subcutaneous injections.
- B. Check the oral temperature every 4 hours.
- C. Omit all fruits or vegetables from the diet.
- D. Place a 'No Visitors' sign on the patient door.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The earliest sign of infection in a neutropenic patient is an elevation in temperature. Although unpeeled fresh fruits and vegetables should be avoided, fruits and vegetables that are peeled or cooked are acceptable. Injections may be required for administration of medications such as filgrastim. The number of visitors may be limited and visitors with communicable diseases should be avoided, but a 'no visitors' policy is not needed.
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After receiving change-of-shift report for the following four patients with neutropenia, which patient should the nurse assess first?
- A. 66-year-old who has white pharyngeal lesions
- B. 35-year-old who has a fever of 38.2°C (100.8°F)
- C. 36-year-old who has frequent explosive diarrhea
- D. 23-year old who is complaining of severe fatigue
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Any fever in a neutropenic patient indicates infection and can quickly lead to sepsis and septic shock. Rapid assessment and (if prescribed) initiation of antibiotic therapy within 1 hour are needed. The other patients also need to be assessed but do not exhibit symptoms of potentially life-threatening problems.
The nurse is admitting a patient with hemolytic anemia and notes jaundice of the sclerae. Which of the following laboratory results should the nurse assess?
- A. Schilling test
- B. Bilirubin level
- C. Stool occult blood test
- D. Gastric analysis testing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Jaundice is caused by the elevation of bilirubin level associated with red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis. The other tests would not be helpful in monitoring or treating hemolytic anemia.
The nurse is caring for a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who has induction therapy prescribed and the patient asks the nurse whether the planned chemotherapy will be worth undergoing. Which of the following responses by the nurse is best?
- A. If you do not want to have chemotherapy, there are other options for treatment such as stem cell transplantation.
- B. The decision about chemotherapy is one that you and the doctor need to make rather than asking what I would do.
- C. You don't need to make a decision about treatment right now since leukemias in adults tend to progress quite slowly.
- D. The adverse effects of the chemotherapy are difficult, but AML frequently does go into remission with chemotherapy.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This response uses therapeutic communication by addressing the patient's question and giving accurate information. The other responses either give inaccurate information or fail to address the patient's question, which will discourage the patient from asking the nurse for information.
The nurse is caring for a patient with anemia who is experiencing increased fatigue and occasional palpitations at rest. Which of the following laboratory findings should the nurse expect?
- A. Normal red blood cell (RBC) indices
- B. Hematocrit (Hct) of 38%
- C. Hemoglobin (Hb) of 86 g/L
- D. RBC count of 4.5 x 10^12/L
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The patient's clinical manifestations indicate moderate anemia, which is consistent with an Hb of 60-100 g/L. The other values are all within the range of normal.
When a febrile episode occurs in a patient with neutropenia, at what time should antibiotic therapy be initiated?
- A. Within 1 hour
- B. After the causative agent is identified from the culture
- C. Once the fever drops below 38°C (100.4°F)
- D. For long-term therapy over 3 months.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When a febrile episode occurs in a patient with neutropenia, antibiotic therapy must be initiated immediately (within 1 hour), even before the determination by culture of a specific causative organism. Treatment does not wait until the fever drops. Long-term therapy over 3 months is not required at this time.