A nurse is caring for a client who has been taking epoetin alfa for 3 months.
Which of the following laboratory tests should the nurse monitor to determine the effectiveness of the medication?

Choice Arationale:

Aspiration (pulling back on the syringe before injection) is not recommended when administering enoxaparin. This could cause bruising.

Choice Brationale:

You should not massage the site following the injection as this could cause bruising.

Choice Crationale:

With enoxaparin and other low molecular weight heparins, you do not need to expel the air bubble before injecting the medication. The air bubble ensures that all the medication is delivered.

Choice D rationale:

Enoxaparin should be injected into abdominal tissue. This helps ensure proper absorption and reduces the risk of bruising.

Choice A rationale:

Hanging the antibiotic medication bag above the level of the primary infusion is an important step in administering an antibiotic via intermittent IV bolus. However, it is not the first step. The medication bag is usually hung higher to allow the antibiotic to infuse by gravity once it’s connected.

Choice B rationale:

Wiping the connection port of the primary IV tubing with an antiseptic swab is a crucial step in preventing infection. However, this is typically done just before connecting the secondary line, not as the first step.

Choice C rationale:

Checking the IV site for signs of infiltration is indeed the first step. It’s important to ensure that the IV catheter is still properly placed in the vein and that there are no signs of infection or infiltration, which could cause complications.

Choice D rationale:

Connecting the tubing of the medication bag to the primary tubing is done after cleaning the port and before hanging the bag. It’s not the first step.