Question

The nurse assesses a patient who is short of breath and fatigued. The nurse finds that the patient's oxygen saturation of the blood is reduced, and the lab report indicates that the red blood cell count is increased. Which condition do these findings suggest?

1) Anemia
2) Hypoxemia
3) Hypoventilation
4) An acute infection

Answer 1

The patient experiences symptoms and lab findings suggestive of hypoxemia, a condition marked by low oxygen levels in the blood, rather than anemia, hypoventilation, or an acute infection. Option 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient with shortness of breath, fatigue, reduced oxygen saturation, and an increased red blood cell count is likely exhibiting signs of hypoxemia. Hypoxemia is a condition characterized by low levels of oxygen in the blood, which can lead to symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. Anemia, on the other hand, is a condition with an inadequate volume of red blood cells and would not typically show an increased red blood cell count.

Anemia results in reduced oxygen delivery to body cells causing fatigue and weakness. Hypoventilation typically leads to an increase in both carbon dioxide and reduced oxygen levels in the blood, but does not necessarily correlate with an increased red blood cell count. An acute infection like pneumonia can cause hypoxemia, but it would typically come with additional symptoms such as a fever or a productive cough, which are not mentioned in the question.