A 42-year-old female patient with HIV has been receiving antiretroviral therapy for several years, and her care team has recently added raltegravir (Isentress) to her drug regimen

When appraising the success or failure of this change in treatment and the patient's ability to fight infection, the nurse should prioritize which of the following laboratory values? A) The patient's C-reactive protein levels
B) The patient's erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
C) The patient's viral load
D) The patient's CD4 count


D
Feedback:
The nurse assesses for an increase in T-helper CD4 cells. The CD4 count measures the ability to fight against infections. CD4 count is more important than viral load in this regard. CRP levels and ESR do not reflect the patient's immune function.

Nursing

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