Question

A 50-year-old patient with pernicious anemia asks why she can't just take a vitamin B12 pill instead of getting an injection. What is the nurse's best response to her question?

Select one:
a. Pernicious anemia is caused by the GI tract's inability to absorb vitamin B12, it cannot be taken orally.
b. Oral ingestion of vitamin B12 irritates the GI tract and bleeding could occur.
c. Pernicious anemia alters mucous membrane lining of the bowel and impairs absorption.
d. With severe deficiencies like yours, oral vitamin B12 does not work fast enough.

Answer 1

Intrinsic factor is crucial for the absorption of vitamin B12, and pernicious anemia is characterized by inadequate production or utilization of this factor, making oral supplementation ineffective. Vitamin B12 injections are necessary as they bypass the gastrointestinal system to ensure adequate levels in the bloodstream.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's best response to a 50-year-old patient with pernicious anemia, who asks why she can't just take a vitamin B12 pill instead of getting an injection, would be: "Pernicious anemia is caused by the GI tract's inability to absorb vitamin B12. Due to the lack of intrinsic factor, which is necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12, oral supplements cannot be effectively absorbed, and that's why injections are required to bypass the gastrointestinal absorption process."

Intrinsic factor is a protein produced by the stomach that binds to vitamin B12 and facilitates its absorption in the intestines. Patients with pernicious anemia have an impaired ability to produce or utilize intrinsic factor, resulting in poor absorption of vitamin B12 from the diet. Therefore, administering vitamin B12 injections ensures that the vitamin bypasses the need for intrinsic factor and gets directly into the bloodstream.