A client with thrombocytopenia is at risk of bleeding complications.
Which nursing intervention is essential to prevent and manage bleeding in this client?

Choice A rationale:

Administering alternative anticoagulants.

Administering alternative anticoagulants is not the primary intervention for preventing or managing bleeding in a client with thrombocytopenia.

Anticoagulants may increase the risk of bleeding in such patients and are generally not indicated unless there is a specific medical reason to use them.

Choice B rationale:

Preparing the client for splenectomy.

Splenectomy is not typically performed as a preventive measure for bleeding in thrombocytopenic patients.

While splenectomy may be considered in some cases of immune thrombocytopenia, it is not the essential nursing intervention to prevent or manage bleeding in most clients with thrombocytopenia.

Choice C rationale:

Avoiding platelet transfusions.

Avoiding platelet transfusions is not a recommended intervention in clients with thrombocytopenia who are at risk of bleeding complications.

Platelet transfusions are often necessary to raise platelet levels and prevent or manage bleeding in these individuals.

Choice D rationale:

Applying pressure to any bleeding site and elevating the affected area.

This is the essential nursing intervention to prevent and manage bleeding in clients with thrombocytopenia.

Applying pressure to a bleeding site helps control bleeding, and elevating the affected area can reduce swelling and minimize bleeding.

It is a fundamental measure in the care of thrombocytopenic clients.

Choice A rationale:

Schistocytes suggest normal platelet function.

Rationale: This statement is incorrect.

Schistocytes are not related to platelet function.

Schistocytes are fragmented red blood cells, and their presence on a peripheral blood smear suggests mechanical damage to red blood cells, not platelets.

Choice B rationale:

Schistocytes are associated with thrombocytosis.

Rationale: This statement is incorrect.

Schistocytes are not associated with thrombocytosis, which is an elevated platelet count.

They are more commonly associated with conditions involving red blood cell fragmentation, such as hemolysis or microangiopathy.

Choice C rationale:

Schistocytes indicate hemolysis or microangiopathy.

Rationale: This statement is correct.

Schistocytes are fragmented red blood cells, and their presence on a peripheral blood smear is indicative of hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells) or microangiopathy (damage to small blood vessels)

This finding suggests that the patient may have an underlying condition leading to red blood cell destruction, which can be associated with thrombocytopenia.

Choice D rationale:

Schistocytes confirm the absence of bleeding risk.

Rationale: This statement is incorrect.

Schistocytes do not confirm the absence of bleeding risk.

While they are associated with conditions involving red blood cell damage, they do not provide information about the patient's platelet count, which is a more direct factor in bleeding risk.