When teaching the patient about preventing further episodes of pneumonia, the nurse should include which 5 topics?

Choice A reason: Hospitalized patients often have immobility, surgery, or illness, increasing VTE risk via stasis, vessel injury, and hypercoagulability (Virchow’s triad). Studies show up to 60% of VTE cases occur in this setting, confirming the statement.

Choice B reason: False implies low VTE risk in hospitals, contradicting evidence. Inactivity and acute conditions elevate risk significantly, with prophylaxis standard in guidelines, as immobility alone triples clot formation likelihood.

Choice A reason: Pulmonary edema involves fluid in alveoli, often from heart failure, not directly linked to pancytopenia. Low blood cell counts don’t cause fluid overload; this complication arises from cardiac or renal dysfunction, making it less relevant to pancytopenia’s hematologic deficits.

Choice B reason: Bleeding risk increases with pancytopenia due to thrombocytopenia, reducing platelet counts below 150,000/µL. Impaired clotting leads to spontaneous hemorrhage, such as petechiae or mucosal bleeding, a direct and common consequence of bone marrow suppression in this condition.

Choice C reason: Neurogenic shock results from spinal injury or autonomic dysfunction, causing vasodilation and hypotension. Pancytopenia affects blood cells, not neural regulation, so this complication isn’t a primary risk unless unrelated trauma or systemic failure occurs.

Choice D reason: Infection risk rises with pancytopenia from leukopenia, lowering white blood cells below 4,000/µL. Neutropenia impairs immune defense, increasing susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, or viral infections, a frequent and severe complication requiring vigilant monitoring in these patients.

Choice E reason: Seizures stem from neurologic or metabolic disturbances, like hypoglycemia, not pancytopenia. Reduced blood cells don’t directly affect brain excitability or seizure threshold, making this an unlikely complication unless secondary to infection or bleeding.