A client has the following lab results. Which would alert the nurse to a possible nutrition problem?
a. Albumin 5.0 g/dl
b. Pre-albumin 12 mg/dl
c. Retinol-binding protein 5 mg/dl
d. Transferrin 200 mg/dl
B
Normal pre-albumin levels are 20-40 mg/dl. Even though the other values are normal, since pre-albumin reflects acute changes because of its half-life, the nurse should be concerned that the client is at nutritional risk. The client's transferrin level is at the low end of normal. Transferrin, the other serum protein with a short half-life, would also change rapidly with nutritional changes and its low-normal value in conjunction with the abnormal pre-albumin should confirm the nurse's suspicions.
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