護理師監測病人是否發生醫療相關感染時，哪項實驗室結果最令人擔憂？
Which lab result would be most concerning for a nurse monitoring a client for a potential hospital-acquired infection?
- ASerum potassium of 4.0 mEq/L血清鉀 4.0 mEq/L
- BPlatelet count of 200,000/mm³血小板計數 200,000/mm³
- CHemoglobin of 12 g/dL血紅素 12 g/dL
- DWhite blood cell (WBC) count of 16,000/mm³✓ 正解白血球 (WBC) 計數 16,000/mm³
監測醫療相關感染（Hospital-acquired infection, HAI）是護理師的重要職責，因為 HAI 會顯著增加病人的發病率、死亡率和醫療成本。核心概念是，血液常規檢查中的白血球計數（White Blood Cell, WBC）是評估身體發炎或感染反應的關鍵指標。當身體發生感染時，通常會啟動免疫反應，導致白血球數量升高。護理師必須能夠識別異常的實驗室結果，並將其與臨床症狀結合，及早發現潛在的感染。臨床思路應著重於將實驗室數據與病人的生命徵象、身體評估結果和病史進行綜合分析，若發現異常應立即通知醫師，以便及時診斷和治療。
Monitoring for hospital-acquired infection (HAI) is an important nursing responsibility because HAIs significantly increase morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. White blood cell (WBC) count from a complete blood count is a key indicator of inflammation or infection. When infection occurs, the body usually mounts an immune response that elevates the WBC count. The nurse must recognize abnormal lab results and combine them with clinical symptoms to detect potential infection early. Lab data should be integrated with vital signs, physical assessment, and history, and any abnormal findings should prompt timely notification of the physician.
美國與台灣對於醫療相關感染的監測和實驗室結果判讀標準是相同的。白血球計數作為感染指標的意義在全球醫學界都得到認可。護理師在兩地的臨床實踐中，都需具備判讀常見實驗室結果的能力，並在發現異常時遵循醫院的感染控制流程，及時上報和處理。