Question

A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who has cirrhosis. Which of the following laboratory values should the nurse expect?

a. Decreased prothrombin time
b. Elevated bilirubin level
c. Decreased ammonia level
d. Elevated albumin level

Answer 1

In a client with cirrhosis, a nurse should expect to see elevated bilirubin levels and prolonged prothrombin time due to impaired liver function. Levels of serum albumin would typically decrease, and ammonia levels might increase.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse reviewing the laboratory results of a client with cirrhosis should expect certain characteristic abnormalities in the blood tests that reflect the impaired liver function. Among the potential findings, notably, one could expect an elevated bilirubin level, which indicates that the liver's ability to conjugate and excrete bilirubin is compromised, leading to jaundice. This occurs due to damaged hepatocytes and is characteristic of hepatic jaundice.

Additionally, since the liver produces coagulation factors, one might see prolonged prothrombin time or an increased INR (International Normalized Ratio), reflecting a decreased production of these factors and therefore a tendency for blood to clot more slowly. While not listed explicitly in the response options, it is important to note that following liver disease progression, levels of serum albumin and other proteins would typically decrease rather than increase due to the diminished synthetic function of the liver. As for ammonia, liver dysfunction can lead to an increase in ammonia levels because the liver is less efficient at converting ammonia to urea, which contributes to hepatic encephalopathy, a common complication of cirrhosis.