Help with lab values?

Published

This is homework

Pt has low lab values of CBC. Pt has DM, pneumonia, Hx of AFIB, chronic anticoagulation, and labile sugars and HTN.

Pt is obese

I'm trying to figure out why their CBC would be low?

What nursing implications?

First semester

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Need to be more specific...how low and what's low...

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
This is homework

Pt has low lab values of CBC. Pt has DM, pneumonia, Hx of AFIB, chronic anticoagulation, and labile sugars and HTN.

Pt is obese

I'm trying to figure out why their CBC would be low?

What nursing implications?

First semester

What are your thoughts?

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Specializes in Emergency.
This is homework

Pt has low lab values of CBC. Pt has DM, pneumonia, Hx of AFIB, chronic anticoagulation, and labile sugars and HTN.

Pt is obese

I'm trying to figure out why their CBC would be low?

What nursing implications?

First semester

I am always intrigued as to why students -- or people in general -- post these threads in this manner. Do you actually talk to someone in real life the way you post? If so, I would imagine you would get laughed at.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

It's probably lupus.

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care-Family Medicine.

There are a number of reasons depending on several factors. Which part of the CBC is low? What sex? How old are they? What is there last PT/INR?

It can be considered "normal" for menstruating females to be a little low on some parts of a CBC d/t menstruation.

If their PT/INR value are out of range they could be over anti coagulated and need a med adjustment.

Too many options out there without having more info. I suggest you look up some of the common causes of out of range CBC.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing, Pediatrics.

They're dying.

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I am always intrigued as to why students -- or people in general -- post these threads in this manner. Do you actually talk to someone in real life the way you post? If so, I would imagine you would get laughed at.

What would make someone laugh at this post?

I posted this thread the way I did because I wanted to keep it simple. I didn't realize nor understood all lab values were to be posted (although I wanted to post a picture of it but it didn't have any option other than text).

Thanks for being rude and not politely telling me what was so wrong about this thread, where it'll make people laugh at me. Please understand that I'm first semester student, still trying to understand everything.

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

CBC consists of several values: WBCs, RBCs, platelets, hemoglobin & hematocrit. as well as a differential: kinds and percentages of WBCs. It also has RBC indices which help to differentiate types of anemia (MCV, MCH, and MCHC).

So when you report that a CBC is low, that is very non-specific.

Low WBCs--immunosuppression, bone marrow disorder, chemo?

Low RBCs--anemia from any ne of several causes?

Low platelets--heparin induced thrombocytopenia, splenic disease, bone marrow disease?

A person with pneumonia would typically have an elevated WBC count. A person who is anti coagulated may have an occult GI bleed and blood loss anemia. Someone with DM is at risk for kidney disease, which can cause a particular kind of anemia.

Someone who is malnourished or menstruating can have blood loss anemia.

So you see, you have not given enough information to answer your question.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

OP - You missed the point of PP Kuriin's post. More of a touch of disbelief in it with a shake of the head. As in you're rather nervy & ballsy the way you posted.

You just came in the room and in essence just said, "this is my homework". Somebody do it for me. I'm not doing it." "Somebody hand it to me so I don't have to work on it myself."

No 'please', no 'can you help me', no 'thank you in advance', and esp no 'this is what I think'. Nothing!! Just a big 'do it FOR me'. Even after another PP (Roser) asked for your thoughts, you're just miffed.

You try that type of approach in person in some real life situation, and yes, people will prob just blow you off, all the while laughing as they do so. I think that was the point Kuriin was making

You may be a student, but you're also an adult in a real world full of other adults who do not respond well when someone just demands 'do it for me'. Like you did. That's social politeness, not chutzpah which can really be funny.

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Specializes in Pedi.

If the entire CBC is low, the patient is pancytopenic and potentially has something seriously wrong with him. A CBC is not one lab value, but a whole series of tests. What are the values for the patient's hematocrit, hemoglobin, WBC and platelets?

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