The nurse is caring for a seriously ill patient whose laboratory results show a serum creatinine level of 3.5 mg/dL and a serum BUN of 35 mg/dL. Which conclusion can the nurse draw from these test results?
a. The patient is severely dehydrated.
b. The patient's kidneys have been damaged.
c. The patient has a urinary tract infection.
d. The patient has developed a renal calculus.
ANS: B
Elevated BUN and creatinine are found in laboratory test results when the kidneys have been damaged and are unable to sufficiently clear metabolic wastes from the bloodstream. A dehydrated patient may have an elevated BUN, but the serum creatinine should be normal. Urinary tract infection and kidney stone (renal calculus) would not cause elevated BUN and creatinine levels.
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