Which assessment data indicates the desired outcome of epoetin alfa therapy?

Which assessment data indicates the desired outcome of epoetin alfa therapy?

• A. Hemoglobin increases.
• B. Hematocrit decreases.
• C. Conjunctival sacs remain pale.
• D. Conjunctival sac returns to reddish-pink color.

Answer: (D)

Epoetin alfa stimulates the bone marrow to make more red blood cells, which improves oxygen delivery to tissues. The most telling bedside sign that this therapy is working is the color of the conjunctival sacs turning from pale to reddish-pink. That color improvement reflects better perfusion and less anemia, meaning more red cells are circulating to carry oxygen. While an actual rise in hemoglobin would also show the treatment is effective in lab data, the question focuses on an assessment finding you can observe directly; pale conjunctiva indicates ongoing anemia, whereas the reddish-pink conjunctiva indicates improvement.

Epoetin alfa stimulates the bone marrow to make more red blood cells, which improves oxygen delivery to tissues. The most telling bedside sign that this therapy is working is the color of the conjunctival sacs turning from pale to reddish-pink. That color improvement reflects better perfusion and less anemia, meaning more red cells are circulating to carry oxygen. While an actual rise in hemoglobin would also show the treatment is effective in lab data, the question focuses on an assessment finding you can observe directly; pale conjunctiva indicates ongoing anemia, whereas the reddish-pink conjunctiva indicates improvement.