A child has been diagnosed with Wilms' tumor,and is being treated with chemotherapy.Because many chemotherapeutic agents cause bone marrow depression,before administering the chemotherapy,the nurse will determine if this child has any infection-fighting capability by monitoring the:

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The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) measures the number of neutrophils in the blood, which are a type of white blood cell that fights infection. Chemotherapy can cause bone marrow depression, which can decrease the number of neutrophils in the blood and increase the risk of infection. Therefore, monitoring the ANC is important to determine if the child has any infection-fighting capability before administering chemotherapy. Hemoglobin, red blood cell count, and platelets are important measures of the child's anemia and clotting ability, but do not directly assess infection-fighting capability.

A Child Has Been Diagnosed with Wilms' Tumor,and Is Being