The nurse is admitting a patient with severe dehydration. Which of the following lab abnormalities is most likely to occur?

Explanation

•Dehydration causes hemoconcentration due to low fluid volume. Hematocrit, the percentage of blood volume that is made up of red blood cells, will increase due to less fluid volume.

•Hemoglobin can also be elevated In a state of dehydration, but this is not as common as an increase in hematocrit.

•Sodium and chloride are more likely to be elevated in a state of dehydration.

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