A nurse is caring for a client who has a pulmonary embolism and is receiving therapy with unfractionated heparin. Which of the following laboratory results indicates that the therapy is effective?

Choice A rationale:
Increasing the intake of high-fiber foods is not relevant to addressing the client's dry mouth caused by benztropine. High-fiber foods are commonly recommended for managing constipation, a symptom often associated with Parkinson's disease, but it does not address the issue of dry mouth.
Choice B rationale:
Chewing sugarless gum can stimulate saliva production and help alleviate dry mouth. However, it is not the most appropriate recommendation for a client taking benztropine, as gum-chewing may interfere with the effectiveness of the medication or exacerbate other symptoms.
Choice C rationale:
Moistening the mouth with lemon-glycerin swabs is the most suitable recommendation for a client experiencing dry mouth due to benztropine. Lemon-glycerin swabs can help increase saliva production and provide relief from the discomfort of dry mouth without interfering with the medication's efficacy.
Choice D rationale:
Rinsing the mouth with nystatin is used to treat fungal infections in the mouth (oral thrush) and is not relevant to address the side effect of dry mouth caused by benztropine.

Choice A rationale:

A PT (Prothrombin Time) of 12 seconds is not indicative of the effectiveness of heparin therapy for a pulmonary embolism. PT measures the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade, and it is more relevant to monitor in patients on warfarin therapy.

Choice B rationale:

The aPTT (Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time) of 75 seconds is the correct choice as it reflects the effectiveness of unfractionated heparin therapy. Heparin works by inhibiting clotting factors in the intrinsic pathway, and the aPTT is used to monitor heparin's anticoagulant effect. The normal range for aPTT is typically 25-35 seconds.

Choice C rationale:

An INR (International Normalized Ratio) of 1.1 is not the appropriate parameter to assess the effectiveness of heparin therapy. INR is primarily used to monitor the effectiveness of oral anticoagulants like warfarin, not heparin.

Choice D rationale:

The platelet count of 200,000/mm² is not a suitable parameter to evaluate the effectiveness of heparin therapy. Platelet count is important for assessing the risk of bleeding or clotting disorders but does not directly measure the impact of heparin on clotting factors.