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LAB VALUES - ABNRMLS
NUR 106 LAB VALUES - ABNORMALS R/T (Using Kee Textbook)
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Why might a WBC count be high? | Acute infection, tissue necrosis, leukemia, drug interaction |
Why might a WBC count be low? | Viral infections, anemia, drug interaction |
Why would HEMOGLOBIN be low? | Anemia, hemorrhage, leukemia |
Why would HEMOGLOBIN be high? | Dehydration, COPD, heart failure |
Your female pt's Hematocrit is at 55%. This is high. What could be going on? | She could be dehydrated...or could have COPD, or heart failure. |
A male pt is admitted with a Hematocrit level of 23%. That's pretty low. What could possibly be wrong with him? | Anemia, hemorrhage, leukemia |
A dude shows up at the hospital with a seriously black (necrotic) toe. Some labs are ordered. You would expect his WBC count to be... (high or low)? | HIGH |
A woman is in a car crash and suffers severe trauma. She arrives at the hospital, but has lost a lot of blood. Along with all the heroic life-saving stuff going on, some labs are ordered. Her Hgb level is probably going to be... (high or low)? | LOW |
Bob decides to go for a run to the hospital without properly hydrating (just for fun). Upon arrival he is severely dehydrated. They do some Hematology labs on him. How would you expect his Hgb and Hct to be affected? | They would both be INCREASED r/t dehydration! (Both are also increased by COPD and heart failure.) |
Tiffany is a 20 year old girl who is admitted to the hospital due to the fact that she just keeps spontaneously bleeding! The doctors can't figure it out and dun dun dun! Order some tests! At what level would you expect her platelet count to be at? | <20,000 = Critical Value for platelets --> Risk for spontaneous bleeding. |
Mrs. Jones gets her labs back and her platelet count is through the roof! What might be wrong with her? | Trauma, surgery, metastatic cancer |
Why might your Platelet level be decreased? | Leukemia, cancer, anemia, autoimmune disease, DIC |
*Just for Fun* What the heck is this DIC that keeps getting listed as an abnormal r/t??? | DIC = Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation. It's a disease where the pt has diffuse rather than localized activation of coagulation factors. Read more about it in Taber's (WITH A PIC!!) on page 673. |
George has been diagnosed with diabetes II. He's supposed to follow a diet and not eat excessive sweets. But, it was just Halloween and he stole his son's candy bucket. His glucose level will probably be (high or low)? | HIGH |
Other than Diabetes, why might a fasting blood sugar (glucose test) be increased? | Adrenal hyperfunction, stress, drug interaction |
Billy is a baker who only sells buns in sets of 5. Howard has been on an Atkins (HIGH protein) diet for the past few months and decides to go on a carb binge and eats 5 packs(=25) of Billy's buns. What would you expect Howard's Blood Urea Nitrogen to be? | HIGH d/t high-protein diet Other causes for BUN increase would be: dehydration, re-renal and renal failure, drug interactions **Numbers in the story help remember normal BUN levels 5-25 mg/dl** |
Preggy Polly goes in for a lab test. The tech is quite concerned because her creatinine levels are decreased. You, being such a wise nurse (cough*student*cough), know that it's OK because... | Pregnancy is a normal cause of decreased creatinine levels. |
What could cause Creatinine to be increased? | Renal failure, cancer, leukemia, drug interactions |
An unfortunate woman went to the ER after she stubbed her toe. In what amounted to quite the "therapeutic misadventure," she ended up with her stomach suctioned. What would probably be going on with her electrolytes? | The ones we're required to know for this test: Potassium, Sodium, and Chloride would all be DECREASED. |
Poor Jon ate a cheeseburger that hadn't been handled properly. After spending a horrible night puking his brains out, what would happen to his sodium levels? | It would be INCREASED! (Water loss is greater than sodium loss.) |
Little Olly has some serious oliguria and is only producing 5ml of urine/hr. His potassium levels are probably...(high or low)? | HIGH |
At dinner recently, I couldn't hide my gaping mouth as I watched my father-in-law shake salt onto his dinner plate until his food became sparkly. He's probably got a little hypernatremia going on...which would mean his Chloride levels are...(high or low)? | HIGH |