A nurse is caring for a patient with thrombocytopenia.
The patient presents with mucosal bleeding, including petechiae, purpura, and gingival bleeding.
What should the nurse anticipate when assessing this patient's platelet count?

Choice A rationale:

"Increased platelet production due to chemotherapy." Rationale: This statement is not accurate.

Chemotherapy often suppresses bone marrow function, leading to a decrease in platelet production, not an increase.

Thrombocytopenia is a common side effect of chemotherapy due to reduced platelet production.

Choice B rationale:

"Immune-mediated platelet destruction caused by chemotherapy." Rationale: This statement is correct.

Thrombocytopenia in patients undergoing chemotherapy is often due to immune-mediated platelet destruction.

Chemotherapy can trigger an autoimmune response, leading to the destruction of platelets by the immune system.

Choice C rationale:

"Thrombocytopenia in this case is unrelated to chemotherapy." Rationale: This statement is unlikely to be true.

Thrombocytopenia occurring in a patient following chemotherapy is often directly related to the treatment.

While other factors may contribute, chemotherapy is a known cause of decreased platelet counts.

Choice D rationale:

"Thrombocytopenia results from the inhibition of platelet aggregation by chemotherapy." Rationale: This statement is not accurate.

Chemotherapy primarily affects platelet production and can lead to a decrease in platelet count.

It does not typically inhibit platelet aggregation.

Choice A rationale:

The presence of lymphadenopathy Lymphadenopathy refers to the enlargement of lymph nodes and is not a primary assessment finding to identify potential causes and types of thrombocytopenia.

While it may be relevant in some cases, it is not as prioritized as signs of infection or organ dysfunction.

Choice B rationale:

The patient's history of herbal supplements While the patient's history of herbal supplements is important to assess for potential causes of thrombocytopenia, it is not the most immediate assessment finding to prioritize.

Signs of infection or organ dysfunction are more crucial in the initial assessment as they may indicate acute and potentially life-threatening conditions.

Choice D rationale:

The size and shape of platelets on a peripheral blood smear The size and shape of platelets are important for diagnosing specific types of thrombocytopenia but are typically not the initial priority in the assessment.

Identifying signs of infection or organ dysfunction takes precedence because they can guide immediate intervention.