The nurse is assessing the patient for nutritional status.Which laboratory value may indicate compromised protein status?
A)Serum albumin level of 4.0 g/dL
B)Prealbumin level of 12 g/dL
C)Total lymphocyte count of 1600 cells/mm3
D)Prealbumin level of 35 g/dL

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prealbumin normally ranges from 20 to 50 mg/dL.This test is useful for monitoring short-term changes in visceral protein (Grodner et al. ,2004).It has a short half-life of 2 days.A patient has compromised protein status when levels are between 10 and 15 g/dL.Normal serum albumin values are between 3.5 and 5.0 g/dL.For nutritional analysis,values between 2.8 and 3.5 g/dL indicate compromised protein status.Total lymphocyte count (TLC)is a useful measure of immune function.A normal TLC is greater than 1500 cells/mm³.The TLC must be assessed along with other diagnostic indicators.A count of less than 1500/mm³ indicates possible immunocompromise associated with protein-energy malnutrition.

The Nurse Is Assessing the Patient for Nutritional Status