Question

An oncology nurse is reviewing lab values for her patients in the morning. She has a 45-year-old patient diagnosed with cancer of the bone marrow, which has caused his platelet count to be persistently low. The nurse would expect that his platelet count will be less than ___________k cells/mm3.

A) 50
B) 75
C) 100
D) 150

Answer 1

In the case of a patient with bone marrow cancer, a nurse would expect a platelet count to be less than 150,000 cells/mm3 (option D). Thrombocytopenia is the term for unusually low platelet counts which can be caused by bone marrow cancers affecting their production.

Step-by-step explanation:

An oncology nurse examining lab values for a patient with cancer of the bone marrow would expect a persistently low platelet count, which is likely to be less than 150,000 cells/mm3. The normal range for platelets is 150,000 to 450,000 cells/mm3, so option D) 150 would be the correct answer. The bone marrow condition affects platelet production since platelets are produced in the bone marrow, and lower counts can increase the risk for bleeding complications. This is of particular concern in the context of myelosuppressive conditions like bone marrow cancer.

A platelet count less than 150,000 cells/mm3 is termed thrombocytopenia, which can be diagnosed from a complete blood count. This condition is relevant in patients with bone marrow cancer, as the disease or its treatment, such as chemotherapy, can damage the bone marrow's ability to produce platelet.