A nurse is reviewing a patient's most recent blood count and notes that the patient has a hemoglobin of 9.6 gm/dL and a hematocrit of 33%. The nurse will notify the provider and will expect initial treatment to include:
a. determining the cause of the anemia.
b. giving intravenous iron dextran.
c. giving oral carbonyl iron (Feosol).
d. teaching about dietary iron.
ANS: A
Before therapy for iron deficiency anemia is started, the cause must be determined so that the appropriate treatment is given. Oral iron is safer and, most of the time, as effective as parenteral iron, so IV iron is not an initial choice. Oral iron will be given once the cause of the deficiency has been determined. Patients who are iron deficient should be taught about dietary iron, but this is not part of the initial treatment when a deficiency is detected.
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