Medical-surgical Nursing Demystified

(^180) Medical-Surgical Nursing Demystified
INTERPRETING TEST RESULTS

• Low hemoglobin.


• Low hematocrit.


• Low RBC count.


• Thrombocytopenia—low platelet count.


• Leukopenia—low WBC.


• Reticulocyte count low.


• Positive fecal occult blood test.


• Decreased cell counts in bone marrow biopsy as body stops producing.

TREATMENT

• Administer hematopoietic growth factor to correct anemia in patients with
  low erythropoietin levels:
  
  
  • erythropoietin, epoetin alfa (recombinant human erythropoietin) by SC
    injection or IV
  
  
  
  


• Administer human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to correct
  low WBC levels:
  
  
  • filgrastim by SC injection or IV
  
  
  • granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) sargram-
    ostim by IV infusion
  
  
  
  


• Packed RBC transfusions when anemia is symptomatic.


• Platelet transfusion for severe bleeding.


• Bone marrow transplant replaces functioning stem cells.


• Administer immunosuppressive drugs, antithymocyte globulin, and cortico-
  steroids.


• Splenectomy when spleen is enlarged and destroying RBCs.

NURSING DIAGNOSES

• Risk for infection


• Activity intolerance


• Risk for deficient fluid volume