Question

A woman's white blood count is 17,000; she is afebrile and has no symptoms of infection. What nursing action is indicated?

A) Notify the physician immediately for antibiotic prescription
B) Monitor the white blood count and observe for any symptoms of infection
C) Recommend dietary changes to lower the white blood count
D) Administer over-the-counter fever-reducing medication

Answer 1

The most appropriate nursing action would be to monitor the white blood count and observe for any symptoms of infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that the woman has a white blood count of 17,000 and is afebrile with no symptoms of infection, the most appropriate nursing action would be to B) Monitor the white blood count and observe for any symptoms of infection. A white blood count of 17,000 can indicate an elevated white cell count (neutrophilia), which may suggest an underlying infection. However, since the woman is not showing any symptoms of infection, it would not be necessary to immediately notify the physician for antibiotic prescription. Instead, monitoring the white blood count and observing for symptoms of infection would allow for a more comprehensive assessment of the situation.