Question

A nurse is caring for a client who has pancreatitis. The nurse should expect which of the following laboratory results to be below the expected reference range?

a) Amylase
b) Lipase
c) Blood glucose
d) Bilirubin

Answer 1

The nurse caring for a client with pancreatitis should expect elevated levels of amylase and lipase and potentially high blood glucose levels, but bilirubin levels typically would not be below the expected reference range due to pancreatitis alone.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of pancreatitis, the nurse should expect some laboratory results to deviate from the normal reference range due to the inflammation of the pancreas. Commonly measured enzymes include amylase and lipase, which are both produced in the pancreas and are typically elevated in the blood during an episode of pancreatitis. Therefore, options a) Amylase and b) Lipase would be expected to be above, not below, the expected range. Blood glucose levels can be affected by pancreatitis, as insulin secretion may be impaired, leading to higher blood glucose levels, and thus c) Blood glucose would also generally not be below the expected reference range. However, d) Bilirubin, which is associated with liver function and gallbladder disease, might not be directly affected by pancreatitis and typically would not be below the normal range due to pancreatitis unless there is an associated bile duct obstruction.