A patient has developed a pressure ulcer. Which laboratory data will be important for the nurse to check?
a. Vitamin E
b. Potassium
c. Albumin
d. Sodium
ANS: C
Normal wound healing requires proper nutrition. Serum proteins are biochemical indicators of malnutrition, and serum albumin is probably the most frequently measured of these parameters. The best measurement of nutritional status is prealbumin because it reflects not only what the patient has ingested but also what the body has absorbed, digested, and metabolized. Zinc and copper are the minerals important for wound healing, not potassium and sodium. Vitamins A and C are important for wound healing, not vitamin E.
You might also like to view...
Which individual with mental illness may need emergency or involuntary hospitalization for mental illness? The individual who:
a. resumes using heroin while still taking naltrexone (ReVia). b. reports hearing angels playing harps during thunderstorms. c. does not keep an outpatient appointment with the mental health nurse. d. throws a heavy plate at a waiter at the direction of command hallucinations.
A patient says, "I've never heard of an acute coronary syndrome. Please explain what happened to me." The nurse should respond, "Acute coronary syndrome is:
1. Another name for a myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack." 2. A group of disorders that result in insufficient oxygen supply to the heart." 3. The second leading cause of death in the United States." 4. A type of abnormal heart rhythm."
A home health nurse is assessing a family's home after the birth of an infant. A toddler also lives in the home. Which finding will cause the nurse to follow up?
a. Plastic grocery bags are neatly stored under the counter. b. Electric outlets are covered in all rooms. c. No bumper pads are in the crib. d. Crib slats are 5 cm apart.
A woman has requested an epidural for her pain. She is 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. The baby is in a vertex position and is engaged
The nurse increases the woman's intravenous fluid for a preprocedural bolus. She reviews her laboratory values and notes that the woman's hemoglobin is 12 g/dL, hematocrit is 38%, platelets are 67,000, and white blood cells (WBCs) are 12,000/mm3. Which factor would contraindicate an epidural for the woman? a. She is too far dilated. c. She has thrombocytopenia. b. She is anemic. d. She is septic.