Thrombocytopenia is a deficiency (-penia) in thrombocytes (thrombocyto-) within the blood, also known as platelets, of a low quantity of the blood cells responsible for creating blood clots when a wound has occurred. With the last portion of information, if a patient with this condition is in need of care, the nurse and other providers must recognize that this patient is at risk for excessive bleeding.
The real-world best way to protect this client depends on the severity of the patient's thrombocytopenia, its origins or etymology, and identifying the patient's risk for bleeding. If the patient is on blood-thinning, antiplatelet medications like heparin or aspirin and they are causing an unintended thrombocytopenic response, the best way to protect them is to discontinue the medication or contact the prescribing doctor in order to obtain an order for another type of this medication. If their case is mild, the best way to protect the patient may possibly be not intervening at all and just monitoring their platelet counts on an ordered schedule.
With the information given however, we cannot determine the severity so the best way for the nurse to protect this patient is to perform procedures with the goal of minimizing bleeding in mind. This includes lowering the bed and placing guard rails in the upright position to reduce the risk of falls; advising the patient to use a soft-bristled toothbrush; if providing extra care for a patient unable to tend to themselves, using an electric razor to shave rather than razor blades or straight razors, as well as applying softening lip balm to mitigate lip drying and cracking; using the smallest needles possible for IM and IV injections in order to cause the least amount of tissue damage possible; and avoiding medication administrations, examinations, and procedures performed rectally in order to avoid accidental trauma to these tissues.