I am a nursing student in second semester. I had a patient today in clinical for a GI bleed in the duodenum evidenced by endoscopy. Pt. history includes HTN, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, hypothyroidism; My question centers on the relationship of pt's lab results for RBC's, Hct, Hemoglobin, and PTT.
RBC's = 2.82; hematocrit = 24.9; hemoglobin = 8.2; PTT = 33.7. I believe that the RBC, hematocrit, and hemoglobin values are explained simply from loss of blood (are there any other possible causes for these low values?). However the PTT is high indicating thin blood. (With the exception of any heparin drips pt. may have been on or any other blood thinners, could a loss of blood result in thinner blood?)