A nurse is reviewing the complete blood count results for a 4-year-old child who is receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Which of the following findings should indicate to the nurse that the treatment is having a therapeutic effect?

A. A hemoglobin level of 6.8 g/dL is lower than the normal range for a child (9.5 to 14 g/dL). This indicates anemia, which is a common issue in leukemia due to the disease affecting red blood cell production. Although this level is concerning, it does not necessarily reflect a therapeutic effect of treatment. B. A WBC count of 15,000/mm³ is elevated compared to the normal range (5,000 to 10,000/mm³). In the context of ALL, high white blood cell counts can indicate active disease or ineffective treatment. Therapeutic effects are generally indicated by a reduction in WBC count towards the normal range. C. The RBC count of 5/mm³ is within the normal range for a 4-year-old child (4 to 5.5/mm³). This finding suggests that red blood cell production is relatively stable. However, in the context of leukemia treatment, the focus is often on other indicators such as WBC count and platelet count to assess treatment effectiveness D. A platelet count of 98,000/mm³ is lower than the normal range (150,000 to 400,000/mm³), indicating thrombocytopenia (low platelet count). In children with leukemia, treatment often aims to normalize platelet counts or at least improve them from very low levels.