The nurse is assessing the laboratory findings of a client with a urinary tract infection.The laboratory report notes a "shift to the left" in a client's white blood cell count.Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A left shift most commonly occurs with urosepsis and is seen rarely with uncomplicated urinary tract infections.The nurse will be administering antibiotics,most likely via IV,so he or she should notify the provider and prepare to give the antibiotics.The shift to the left is part of a differential white blood cell count.The client would not need to strain urine for stones,and because sepsis carries a high mortality rate,the nurse should not just note the findings as the only action.

The Nurse Is Assessing the Laboratory Findings of a Client