Author Question: A patient who has been receiving heparin subcutaneously for 3 weeks has all of the following ... (Read 78 times)

dejastew · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

A patient who has been receiving heparin subcutaneously for 3 weeks has all of the following laboratory blood test values. Which value does the nurse report immediately to the prescriber?

a. Activated partial thromboplastin time 1.5
b. International normalized ratio (INR) 1.7
c. Red blood cells 4.2 million/mm3
d. Platelets 20,000/mm3

Question 2

A patient is prescribed 20 mg of ketorolac (Toradol) intramuscularly. How many milliliters does the nurse draw up from a vial of ketorolac containing 30 mg/mL?

a. 0.5
b. 0.7
c. 1
d. 2

yuyiding · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D
The normal range for platelets is 200,000 to 400,000/mm3 . Platelets are needed for blood clotting. This patient's platelet count is extremely low and he or she is at grave risk for severe bleeding. The low platelet count is an indication of an adverse reaction to heparin known as he-parin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). The heparin needs to be discontinued and the patient needs to receive platelet therapy before life-threatening hemorrhage occurs.

Answer to Question 2

B
1 is to 30 as X is to 20, so 1/30 = X/20; 20 1 = 20; 20 30 = 0.67 mL, rounded up to 0.7 mL.