Final answer:
Increased serum albumin levels in a patient's lab results would indicate the effectiveness of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) therapy. Albumin levels reflect nutritional status, and TPN aims to provide nutrition, therefore higher levels after TPN suggest it is working correctly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about laboratory findings that would indicate the effectiveness of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) therapy. Increased serum albumin levels would be an indicator that TPN therapy is effective. Albumin is a protein made by the liver, and its levels can be reflective of a person's nutritional status. With effective TPN therapy, we would expect nutritional status to improve, which would be reflected in higher albumin levels in the blood. Decreased blood glucose levels may not necessarily indicate effective TPN, as TPN solutions typically contain high levels of glucose and therefore might actually cause levels to increase. Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels typically indicate kidney function issues or dehydration, and an improved white blood cell count could indicate resolution of an infection, but neither is a direct reflection of nutritional status improved by TPN.