The nurse is admitting a patient with severe dehydration. Which of the following lab abnormalities is most likely to occur?
Explanation
• Dehydration causes heme concentration 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.