An RT receives a doctor's order to perform an ABG on a 71-year-old woman. Upon reviewing the patient's chart, the RT notices that the patient has a platelet count of 110 ? 103 mcl. What should the RT do?

1. Perform ABG as normal.
2. Refuse to perform the ABG.
3. After ABG is performed, compress the puncture site for a longer time.
4. Recommend that an ABG should be performed on the patient only when it is absolutely nec-essary.
a. 2 and 4 only
b. 1 only
c. 3 and 4 only
d. 2 only

ANS: C
In patients requiring arterial blood gas (ABG) testing, or who need nasotracheal suctioning, RTs must evaluate the clotting characteristics of the blood. For ABG testing, patients with an abnor-mally low platelet count, or an elevated PT and INR, will need to have the puncture site com-pressed for a longer time after the arterial sample is obtained to prevent bleeding and hematoma development. Patients with an extremely low platelet count should have an arterial puncture per-formed (or undergo nasotracheal suctioning) only when it is essential because of the extraordi-nary high risk of bleeding. Normal platelet count is 150 to 400 ? 103 mcl.