Question

A nurse is caring for a client who has a new diagnosis of pernicious anemia. The nurse should expect the client's provider to prescribe which of the following meds for this client?

A. Ferrous sulfate
B. Epoetin alfa
C. Vit B12
D. Folic Acid

Answer 1

For a client diagnosed with pernicious anemia, the expected prescription would be vitamin B12 supplementation, as this condition arises from poor absorption of vitamin B12 rather than an iron deficiency.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse caring for a client with a new diagnosis of pernicious anemia should expect the client's provider to prescribe vitamin B12. Pernicious anemia is characterized by the inability of the body to absorb vitamin B12 due to a lack of intrinsic factor, and it is unrelated to iron deficiency.

Therefore, treatments like ferrous sulfate, which are effective for iron deficiency anemia, would not be appropriate. Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in the production of red blood cells and DNA synthesis. It is identified as the active agent in the cure of pernicious anemia.

It's important to note that pernicious anemia does not respond to increased iron in the diet and specifically requires vitamin B12 supplementation to address the deficiency caused by poor absorption.