The nurse is caring for a patient with chronic low back pain.The patient reports taking 800 mg of ibuprofen tid for the past 12 years.For this patient,which lab result is most important for the nurse to review?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

NSAIDS can irritate the gastric mucosa,causing bleeding,which will be reflected in the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.White blood cell count is an indicator of infection and is not likely to be impacted by long-term NSAID use.Serum electrolytes are not likely to be impacted by long-term NSAID use unless the patient experiences kidney damage.Platelet count is usually not impacted by NSAIDs,although platelet aggregation may be increased; however,this does not affect the number of platelets.

The Nurse Is Caring for a Patient with Chronic Low