Question

a nurse is caring for a client who is about to begin taking epoetin. an increase in which of the following laboratory values should indicate to the nurse that the therapy is effective?

• prothrombin time (pt)
• white blood cell count (wbc)
• hemoglobin (hgb)
• platelets

Explanation:

Epoetin is a medication that stimulates the production of red blood cells. Hemoglobin (\(Hgb\)) is a component of red blood cells. An increase in hemoglobin indicates an increase in red blood cell production, which is the goal of epoetin therapy. Prothrombin time (\(PT\)) measures blood clotting ability, white blood cell count (\(WBC\)) relates to the immune system, and platelets are involved in blood clotting. None of these are directly related to the action of epoetin.

Answer:

Hemoglobin (Hgb)