A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client who has COPD. Which of the following laboratory findings indicates a need to request a dietary referral for the client?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A.
Prealbumin 13 mg\/dL<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B.
Potassium 3.5 mEq\/L<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C.
Sodium 138 mEq\/L<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D.
Total calcium 10 mg\/dL<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Correct answer and Explanation is:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The correct answer is A. Prealbumin 13 mg\/dL<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory condition that affects lung function, leading to difficulties in breathing and a higher energy expenditure due to the increased effort required for respiration. Nutritional status plays a significant role in the management of COPD, as malnutrition can worsen respiratory muscle function and overall health. One of the key laboratory indicators of nutritional status is prealbumin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prealbumin is a protein synthesized by the liver, and it serves as a sensitive marker for acute changes in nutritional status. The normal reference range for prealbumin is 16-35 mg\/dL. A value of 13 mg\/dL indicates mild to moderate malnutrition<\/strong>. Malnutrition in COPD patients is a common concern due to factors like increased caloric needs from labored breathing, reduced appetite, and difficulty eating due to dyspnea (shortness of breath). Malnourished COPD patients are at higher risk of infections, reduced muscle strength, and overall poor outcomes. In this case, a dietary referral is warranted to assess the client\u2019s nutritional intake and create an appropriate plan to improve or maintain their nutritional status, helping support muscle strength, respiratory function, and immune health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The normal range for potassium is 3.5-5.0 mEq\/L, and the given value is at the lower end of normal. While potassium is important for muscle function (including respiratory muscles), this level does not indicate an immediate need for dietary intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The normal range for sodium is 135-145 mEq\/L, and the given value falls within the normal range. Sodium levels are important for fluid balance but do not indicate malnutrition or the need for a dietary referral in this scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The normal range for total calcium is 8.5-10.5 mg\/dL. The given value is within the normal range, and while calcium is important for bone health, this value does not suggest a nutritional deficit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, the prealbumin level of 13 mg\/dL<\/strong> indicates malnutrition, which requires a dietary referral to address the client\u2019s nutritional needs, particularly in the context of COPD. This intervention can help improve respiratory muscle function and overall health outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client who has COPD. Which of the following laboratory findings indicates a need to request a dietary referral for the client? A.Prealbumin 13 mg\/dL B.Potassium 3.5 mEq\/L C.Sodium 138 mEq\/L D.Total calcium 10 mg\/dL The Correct answer and Explanation is: The correct answer is A. Prealbumin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-143173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143173\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Prealbumin 13 mg\/dL:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Potassium 3.5 mEq\/L:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Sodium 138 mEq\/L:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Total calcium 10 mg\/dL:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n