The family members of an elderly patient are wondering why his "blood counts" are not rising after his last GI bleed. They state, "He has always bounced back after one of these episodes, but this time it isn't happening. Do you know why?" The nurse will respond based on which of the following pathophysiological principles?
A) "Everything slows down when you get older. You just have to wait and see what happens."
B) "Due to stress, the red blood cells of older adults are not replaced as promptly as younger people."
C) "The doctor may start looking for another cause of his anemia, maybe cancer of the bone."
D) "Don't worry about it. We can always give him more blood."
Ans:
B
Feedback:
In older adults, the number of progenitor cells declines. During a stress situation such as bleeding, the red blood cells of older adults are not replaced as promptly as those of their younger counterparts. Given the scenario, the patient is obviously bleeding from the GI tract. There is no reason to suspect the patient has bone cancer. Answer choice D is a nontherapeutic communication technique. The nurse is trying to pacify the family and not really addressing their concern.
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