A patient has no complaints when she comes to the clinic for a routine physical. Laboratory results reveal a hemoglobin level of 8.2 g/dL. How should the nurse interpret this result?
1. This patient has a normal hemoglobin level for an adult female.
2. The patient has lost some blood in the last few hours.
3. The patient should be encouraged to eat more iron-rich foods.
4. The patient has been bleeding slowly for an extended period.
4
Rationale 1: This hemoglobin level is not normal for either a female or a male adult.
Rationale 2: If the patient has lost enough blood to produce this hemoglobin level in the last few hours, the patient would likely be symptomatic.
Rationale 3: This hemoglobin level is significantly low and is likely not treatable with dietary management.
Rationale 4: The most likely explanation of this hemoglobin level is that the patient has been bleeding slowly over a long period, which has given her body time to compensate for the losses.
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