Final answer:
Administering filgrastim to a chemotherapy patient aims to increase their WBC count, specifically neutrophils, to combat the myelosuppressive effects of chemotherapy and reduce the risk of infection due to neutropenia.
Step-by-step explanation:
Administration of filgrastim, which is a synthetic form of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), would likely aim to increase the white blood cell (WBC) count in a client undergoing chemotherapy on the oncology unit. Chemotherapy drugs can cause myelosuppression, a condition that leads to decreased production of blood cells in the bone marrow, including neutrophils, a type of leukocyte crucial for fighting infection.
By stimulating the bone marrow to produce more neutrophils, filgrastim can help mitigate one of the adverse effects of chemotherapy, which is the risk of infection due to neutropenia (a low neutrophil count). Given this client's worsening adverse effects, the desired outcome of administering filgrastim would be to help their body replenish its neutrophil count, thereby enhancing their overall immune system function and allowing them to better tolerate ongoing chemotherapy treatments.