The client is experiencing severe shortness of breath but is not cyanotic. What lab value would the nurse review in an attempt to understand this phenomenon?
1. Blood sugar
2. Hemoglobin and hematocrit
3. Cardiac enzymes
4. Serum electrolytes
2. Hemoglobin and hematocrit
Rationale:
In order to exhibit cyanosis, the client's blood must contain about 5 g or more of unoxygenated hemoglobin per 100mL of blood and the surface blood capillaries must be dilated. Severe anemia will interfere with the development of cyanosis, so the nurse should review the hemoglobin and hematocrit. Blood sugar, cardiac enzymes, and serum electrolytes are not implicated in this phenomenon.
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