A patient is admitted to the hospital with a provisional diagnosis of heart failure. Which laboratory finding would the nurse evaluate as ruling out that diagnosis?
1. BNP 50 pg/mL
2. Normal ECG
3. Sodium 148 mEq/L
4. Hemoglobin 10 g/dl
1
Rationale 1: A BNP within normal limits rules out heart failure.
Rationale 2: Normal ECG results would not rule out heart failure, which may be occurring for reasons other than electrical disturbances of the heart or myocardial infarction.
Rationale 3: This sodium level is slightly high, but does not indicate or rule out heart failure.
Rationale 4: This hemoglobin result is slightly low but does not rule in or rule out heart failure.
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