A client at 16 weeks' gestation has a hematocrit of 35%. Her prepregnancy hematocrit was 40%. Which statement by the nurse best explains this change?
1. "Because of your pregnancy, you're not making enough red blood cells."
2. "Because your blood volume has increased, your hematocrit count is lower."
3. "This change could indicate a serious problem that might harm your baby."
4. "You're not eating enough iron-rich foods like meat."
2
Explanation: 2. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels drop in early to mid-pregnancy as a result of pregnancy-associated hemodilution. Because the plasma volume increase (50%) is greater than the erythrocyte increase (25%), the hematocrit decreases slightly.
You might also like to view...
The clinic nurse explains to a student that the hormone responsible for limiting the maternal immune response to pregnancy is which of the following?
A. Human chorionic gonadotropin B. Progesterone C. Prostaglandin D. Relaxin
An important function of a rigorous research design in a quantitative study is to have control over which of the following?
A) Outcome variables B) Mediating variables C) Carryover variables D) Confounding variables
The nurse is reviewing the results of a patient's urinalysis. Which finding indicates that a pathological process might be occurring with this patient?
1. Appearance: cloudy 2. Odor: aromatic 3. pH: 5.2 4. Glucose: negative
What health problem may occur in a person who is on a low-carbohydrate diet for a long period of time?
A) obesity B) fatigue C) ketosis D) infection