Which laboratory tests should a nurse review before administering chemotherapy?

Before administering chemotherapy, it is crucial to review the patient's electrolyte levels because chemotherapy can significantly affect the body's balance of electrolytes. Many chemotherapy drugs have side effects that can lead to imbalances, which in turn can cause complications such as cardiac issues, muscle weakness, or other systemic problems.

Monitoring electrolyte levels helps in identifying any potential dangers that could arise from treatment. Specifically, hypokalemia (low potassium), hyperkalemia (high potassium), and other disturbances might necessitate interventions prior to starting chemotherapy to ensure patient safety and the effective continuation of treatment.

While blood pressure readings are important for overall monitoring and radiology images can provide insight into the extent of disease, these factors do not directly impact the immediate safety of administering chemotherapy as electrolyte balance does. Similarly, while a complete blood count is essential to evaluate blood cell levels and the patient’s ability to tolerate chemotherapy, it is just one piece of a larger picture. Electrolyte levels play a critical role in determining overall patient stability right before administering the treatment.