Practice Question
The nurse is administering SUBQ enoxaparin to a client following knee replacement surgery to prevent a deep vein thrombosis. Which laboratory result requires immediate action by the nurse? Reference Range: Hematocrit - 42% to 52% (0.42 to 0.52 volume fraction) Platelets - 150,000 to 400,000/mm³ (150 to 400 x 10⁹/L). Creatinine - 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dL (44 to 97 umol/L). Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) - 10 to 20 mg/dL (3.6 to 7.1 mmol/L).
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Platelet count of 100,000/mm³ (100 x 10⁹/L).
Rationale:
✍️ Enoxaparin is an anticoagulant that can cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a serious immune-mediated drop in platelet count.
✍️ A platelet count of 100,000/mm³ is significantly below the normal range (150,000–400,000/mm³), increasing the client’s risk for spontaneous bleeding.
✍️ Because enoxaparin inhibits clotting, its use in a patient with low platelets can exacerbate bleeding complications such as internal hemorrhage.
✍️ The nurse must immediately notify the provider, withhold the medication, and anticipate further orders such as HIT testing or a change in therapy.
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This question is from HESI-RN Pharmacology~106A which contains 34 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: HESI Exam(s)
- Domain: Hesi Pharmacology
- Answer Choices: 4