A nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing active bleeding. What is the nurse's priority intervention?

A) Incorrect. Hemoglobin levels may initially be normal or slightly decreased, but they would decrease later due to the body's compensatory response to dilute the remaining blood.

B) Incorrect. Platelet count may not be significantly affected in the early stages of hemorrhage. It is mainly responsible for clot formation, which becomes more relevant in the later stages.

C) Incorrect. In the early stages of hemorrhage, the white blood cell count is not significantly affected. It plays a role in fighting infection and inflammation.

D) Correct. Hematocrit levels represent the proportion of red blood cells in the blood. During early stages of hemorrhage, there is a loss of red blood cells, leading to decreased hematocrit levels.

A) Incorrect. While pain management is essential, it is not the priority when dealing with active bleeding that requires immediate intervention.

B) Incorrect. Positioning the client comfortably is important, but it is not the priority when there is active bleeding.

C) Correct. The priority intervention is to apply direct pressure to the bleeding site to control and reduce bleeding until further assessment and medical assistance can be obtained.

D) Incorrect. Obtaining a detailed health history is valuable for understanding the client's overall health, but it is not the priority when the client is actively bleeding and requires immediate intervention.