A patient has been prescribed all four first-line drugs for tuberculosis (TB).Which laboratory blood value is most important for the nurse to report to the prescriber first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All of these values are abnormal; however,only the RBC count is seriously out of the normal range.One of the most serious adverse effects of rifampin (a major part of first-line drug therapy for TB)is suppression of RBC production,leading to anemia.This patient's RBC level is only about half of normal.

A Patient Has Been Prescribed All Four First-Line Drugs for Tuberculosis