The nurse is caring for a patient who has undergone a splenectomy and notices that the patient's platelet count has increased.The nurse realizes that the increase is due to

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Two thirds of the platelets circulate in the blood.The spleen stores the remaining third and may become enlarged if excess or rapid platelet removal occurs.In patients who have had a splenectomy,100% of the platelets remain in circulation.Platelets are the first responders in the clotting response (not infection),and they form a platelet plug that temporarily repairs an injured vessel.RBCs (not platelets)are generated from precursor stem cells under the influence of a growth factor called erythropoietin.Platelets have a life span of 8 to 12 days,but they may be used more rapidly if there are many vascular injuries or clotting stimuli.Maturation of RBCs takes 4 to 5 days,and their life span is about 120 days.

The Nurse Is Caring for a Patient Who Has Undergone