Question

The patient has a hemoglobin of 8.5 g/dL and hematocrit of 27%. The nurse administers 2 units of packed red blood cells to the patient and repeats the lab work a few hours later. The new hemoglobin and hematocrit would be expected to be

a.hemoglobin 7.5 g/dL and hematocrit 25%.
b.hemoglobin 9.5 g/dL and hematocrit 29%.
c.hemoglobin 10.5 g/dL and hematocrit 32%.
d.hemoglobin 12.5 g/dL and hematocrit 36%.

Answer 1

The hematocrit measures the percentage of erythrocytes in the blood. When the patient receives blood transfusion, the new hemoglobin and hematocrit values are expected to be higher. The correct answer is (b) hemoglobin 9.5 g/dL and hematocrit 29%.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's hematocrit is a measurement of the volume percentage of erythrocytes in their blood. A hematocrit of 27% means that 27% of their blood is made up of erythrocytes, while the remaining percentage is composed of plasma and other formed elements. Based on the given information, the mean plasma percentage is approximately 73% (100 minus 27).

When the nurse administers 2 units of packed red blood cells to the patient, the erythrocyte count will increase, which will subsequently increase the hematocrit level. As a result, the new hemoglobin and hematocrit values would be expected to be higher than the initial values. Based on the provided options, the most likely answer is (b) hemoglobin 9.5 g/dL and hematocrit 29%.