Published
Your lab book is right. Dehydration causes hemoconcentration and that causes increased HCT/HGB/RBC. The plasma is concentrated with RBCs and it appears higher than normal.
What is your patients complete assessment and medical diagnoses?
Does this patient have a hx of anemia? Is she bleeding somewhere? Any renal issues?
These were admitting labs, and on admission she was diagnosed with dehydration/delusions. She is fine now, and no history of anemia and not bleeding, no renal issues, this is why I was so confused? The reason for the delusions was an adverse affect to Oxycontin, she was given narcan upon admission. Under my care she ate one bite of food, so it kind of makes sense, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the whole Dehydration aspect because I know she is but it says for those labs to be low it wouldn't be dehydration. So that's why I chose nutrition deficit.
branthebrat0789
22 Posts
Okay guys I am for some reason stumped on this. My patient was admitted with dehydration and I am suppose to pick applicable labs and so far I have picked sodium, chloride, bun, creatine , rbc, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. I defined why the beginning ones were high or low but the last 2 hemoglobin and hematocrit are low and the only thing I can think of is nutritional deficit? But she is in for dehydration, in my lab book it says it would be increased if she was dehydrated? I'm confused why they are low