(ANSWERS & RATIONALE) NCLEX Prep Questions for Blood Disorders

View NCLEX Prep Questions for Blood Disorders

1. ANSWER A. One of the microcytic, hypochromic anemias is iron-deficiency amenia. A rich source of iron is needed in the diet, and eggs are high in iron. Other foods high in iron include organ and muscle (dark) meats; shellfish, shrimp, and tuna; enriched, whole-grain, and fortified cereals and breads; legumes, nuts, dried fruits, and beans; oatmeal; and sweet potatoes. Dark green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits are good sources of vitamin C. Cheese is a good source of calcium.

2. ANSWER C. Good sources of vitamin B12 include meats and dairy products. Whole grains are a good source of thiamine. Green leafy vegetables are good sources of niacin, folate, and carotenoids (precursors of vitamin A). Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are good sources of ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

3. ANSWER D. The normal range of folic acid is 1.8 to 9 ng/mL, and the normal range of vitamin B12 is 200 to 900 pg/mL. A low folic acid level in the presence of a normal vitamin B12 level is indicative of a primary folic acid-deficiency anemia. Factors that affect the absorption of folic acid are drugs such as methotrexate, oral contraceptives, antiseizure drugs, and alcohol. The total bilirubin, serum creatinine, and hemoglobin values are within normal limits.

4. ANSWER B. The defining characteristic of pernicious anemia, a megaloblastic anemia, is lack of the intrinsic factor, which results from atrophy of the stomach wall. Without the intrinsic factor, vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed in the small intestines, and folic acid needs vitamin B12 for DNA synthesis of RBCs. The gastric analysis was done to determine the primary cause of the anemia. An elevated excretion of the injected radioactive vitamin B12, which is protocol for the first and second stage of the Schilling test, indicates that the client has the intrinsic factor and can absorb vitamin B12 into the intestinal tract. A sedimentation rate of 16 mm/hour is normal for both men and women and is a nonspecific test to detect the presence of inflammation. It is not specific to anemias. An RBC value of 5.0 million is a normal value for both men and women and does not indicate anemia.

5. ANSWER B. Clients with aplastic anemia are severely immunocompromised and at risk for infection and possible death related to bone marrow suppression and pancytopenia. Strict aseptic technique and reverse isolation are important measures to prevent infection. Although diet, reduced stress, and rest are valued in supporting health, the potentially fatal consequence of an acute infection places it as a priority for teaching the client about health maintenance. Animal meat and dark green leafy vegetables, good sources of vitamin B12 and folic acid, should be included in the daily diet. Yoga and meditation are good complimentary therapies to reduce stress. Eight hours of rest and naps are good for spacing and pacing activity and rest.

6. ANSWER D. Vitamin B12 combines with intrinsic factor in the stomach and is then carried to the ileum, where it is absorbed in the bloodstream. In this situation, vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed regardless of the amount of oral intake of sources of vitamin B12 such as animal protein or vitamin B12 tablets. Vitamin B12 needw to be injected every month, because the ileum has been surgically removed. Replacement of fluids and electrolytes is important when the client has continuous multiple loose stools on a daily basis. Warm salt water is used to soothe sore mucous membranes. Crohn’s disease and small bowel resection may cause several loose stools a day.

7. ANSWER C. Coffee and tea increase gastrointestinal mobility and inhibit the absorption of nonheme iron. Clients are instructed to add dried fruits to dishes at every meal because dried fruits are a nonheme or nonanimal iron source. Cooking in iron cookware, especially acid-based foods such as tomatoes, adds iron to the diet. Clients are instructed to add a rich supply of vitamin C to every meal because the absorption of iron is increased when food with vitamin C or ascorbic acid is consumed.

8. ANSWER A. It is difficult to determine activity intolerance without objectively comparing activities from one time frame to another. Because iron deficiency anemia can occur gradually and individual endurance varies, the nurse can best assess the client’s activity tolerance by asking the client to compare activities 6 months ago and at the present. Asking a client how long a problem has existed is a very open-ended question that allows for too much subjectivity for any definition of the client’s activity tolerance. Also, the client may not even identify that a “problem” exists. Asking the client whether he is staying abreast of usual activities addresses whether the tasks were completed, not the tolerance of the client while the tasks were being completed or the resulting condition of the client after the tasks were completed. Asking the client if he is more tired now than usual does not address his activity tolerance. Tiredness is a subjective evaluation and again can be distorted by factors such as the gradual onset of the anemia or the endurance of the individual.

9. ANSWER C. Pernicious anemia is caused by the body’s inability to absorb vitamin B12. This results in a lack of intrinsic factor in the gastric juices. Schilling’s test helps diagnose pernicious anemia by determining the client’s ability to absorb vitamin B12.

10. ANSWER B. Urinary vitamin B12 levels are measured after the ingestion of radioactive vitamin B12. A 24-to 48- hour urine specimen is collected after administration of an oral dose of radioactively tagged vitamin B12 and an injection of nonradioactive vitamin B12. In a healthy state of absorption, excess vitamin B12 is excreted in the urine; in a malabsorption state or when the intrinsic factor is missing, vitamin B12 is excreted in the feces. Citrucel is a bulk-forming agent. Laxatives interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12. The client is NPO 8 to 12 hours before the test but is not NPO during the test. A stool collection is not part of the Schilling test. If stool contaminates the urine collection, the results will be altered.

11. ANSWER B. Most clients with pernicious anemia have deficient production of intrinsic factor in the stomach. Intrinsic factor attaches to the vitamin in the stomach and forms a complex that allows the vitamin to be absorbed in the small intestine. The stomach is producing enough acid, there is not an excessive excretion of the vitamin, and there is not a rapid production of RBCs in this condition.

12. ANSWER B. The normal physiologic response to activity is an increased metabolic rate over the resting basal rate. The decrease in respiratory rate indicates that the client is not strong enough to complete the mechanical cycle of respiration needed for gas exchange. The postactivity pulse is expected to increase immediately after activity but by no more than 50 bpm if it is strenuous activity. The diastolic blood pressure is expected to rise but by no more than 15 mm Hg. The pulse returns to within 6 bpm of the resting pulse after 3 minutes of rest.

13. ANSWER C. The nurse should continue to monitor the client, because this value reflects a normal physiologic response. The physician does not need to be called, and oxygen does not need to be started based on these laboratory findings. Immediately after surgery, the client’s hematocrit reflects a falsely high value related to the body’s compensatory response to the stress of sudden loss of fluids and blood. Activation of the intrinsic pathway and the renin-angiotensin cycle via antidiuretic hormone produces vasoconstriction and retention of fluid for the first 1 to 2 day post-op. By the second to third day, this response decreases and the client’s hematocrit level is more reflective of the amount of RBCs in the plasma. Fresh bleeding is a less likely occurrence on the third post-op day but is not impossible; however, the nurse would have expected to see a decrease in the RBC and hemoglobin values accompanying the hematocrit.

14. ANSWER A. Epogen is a recombinant DNA form of erythropoietin, which stimulates the production of RBCs and therefore causes the hematocrit to rise. The elevation in hematocrit causes an elevation in blood pressure; therefore, the blood pressure is a vital sign that should be checked. The PTT, hemoglobin level, and PT are not monitored for this drug.

15. ANSWER D. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. When water-soluble vitamins are taken in excess of the body’s needs, they are filtered through the kidneys and excreted. Vitamin B12 is considered to be nontoxic. Adverse reactions that have occurred are believed to be related to impurities or to the preservative in B12 preparations. Ringing in the ears, skin rash, and nausea are not considered to be related to vitamin B12 administration.

16. ANSWER B. Brown rice is a source of iron from plant sources (nonheme iron). Other sources of nonheme iron are whole-grain cereals and breads, dark green vegetables, legumes, nuts, dried fruits (apricots, raisins, dates), oatmeal, and sweet potatoes. Egg yolks have iron but it is not as well absorbed as iron from other sources. Vegetables are a good source of vitamins that may facilitate iron absorption. Tea contains tannin, which combines with nonheme iron, preventing its absorption.

17. ANSWER B. Macrocytic anemias can result from deficiencies in vitamin B12 or ascorbic acid. Only vitamin B12 deficiency causes diminished sensations of peripheral nerve endings. The nurse should assess for peripheral neuropathy and instruct the client in self-care activities for her diminished sensation to heat and pain. The burn could be related to abuse, but this conclusion would require more supporting data. The findings should be documented, but the nurse would want to address the client’s sensations first. The decision of how to treat the burn should be determined by the physician.

18. ANSWER C. Pruritus is a late symptom that results from abnormal histamine metabolism. Headache and dizziness are early symptoms from engorged veins. Shortness of breath is an early symptom from congested mucous membrane and ineffective gas exchange.

19. ANSWERS B, C, D and E. Polycythemia vera, a condition in which too many RBCs are produced in the blood serum, can lead to an increase in the hematocrit and hypervolemia, hyperviscosity, and hypertension. Subsequently, the client can experience dizziness, tinnitus, visual disturbances, headaches, or a feeling of fullness in the head. The client may also experience cardiovascular symptoms such as heart failure (shortness of breath and orthopnea) and increased clotting time or symptoms of an increased uric acid level such as painful swollen joints (usually the big toe). Hearing loss and weight loss are not manifestations associated with polycythemia vera.

20. ANSWER A. Aplastic anemia decreases the bone marrow production of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. The client is at risk for bruising and bleeding tendencies. A change in the intake and output is important, but assessment for the potential for bleeding takes priority. Change in the peripheral nervous system is a priority problem specific to clients with vitamin B12 deficiency. Change in bowel function is not associated with aplastic anemia.