Question

Mrs. Higgins needs to have major surgery. Two weeks before the surgery, her doctor prescribes EPO. Which of the following statements best explains his reason for doing this?

a) By prescribing EPO, the doctor will be able to increase oxygen levels because EPO causes hemoglobin to bind oxygen more efficiently.
b) By prescribing EPO, the doctor will decrease her hematocrit so that her blood is less likely to clot during surgery.
c) After she takes EPO, Mrs. Higgins's risk of infection will go down because of increased production of WBCs.
d) By prescribing EPO, the doctor can stimulate Mrs. Higgins's body to produce an overabundance of RBCs, which can be harvested and saved for her surgery.

Answer 1

Answer: NONE OF THE ABOVE OPTIONS ARE CORRECT.

Step-by-step explanation:

EPO(Erythropoietin) can be used in patients who are going to have a major surgery in which significant blood loss is expected.

By administering EPO in the month before the surgery the patient often has a 1-2 gram rise in hemoglobin (increased hematocrit level) and this decreases the chance that a blood transfusion will be needed during the surgery.