Question

A patient newly diagnosed with thrombocytopenia is admitted to the medical unit. After the admission

assessment, the patient asks the nurse to explain the disease. What should the nurse explain to this
patient?
A) There could be an attack on the platelets by antibodies.
B) There could be decreased production of platelets.
C) There could be impaired communication between platelets.
D) There could be an autoimmune process causing platelet malfunction.

Answer 1

Thrombocytopenia is caused by an insufficient number of platelets, leading to increased bleeding risks; it can be due to decreased production or an autoimmune process.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should explain to the patient diagnosed with thrombocytopenia that this condition is characterized by an insufficient number of platelets in the blood, which contributes to a reduced ability for the blood to form clots. As such, patients can experience excessive bleeding even from minor injuries. Thrombocytopenia can have several causes, including the decreased production of platelets within the bone marrow or an increased destruction of platelets, which may occur due to an autoimmune process wherein the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the platelets as if they were foreign substances.