The nurse reviews a client's laboratory results for a client admitted with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding who has no visible hemorrhoids on inspection of the anal area. Which laboratory test indicates that the client's bleeding is not yet resolved? Reference Range: Hematocrit (Hct) [42% to 52% (0.42 to 0.52 volume fraction)] Prothrombin time (PT) [11.0 to 12.5 seconds (85%-100%)] Glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) [4% to 5.9%]

A. Hemoglobin A1C changes from 10% to 8%. Hemoglobin A1C reflects long-term blood glucose control over the past 2–3 months and is not directly related to acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. A decrease in A1C suggests improved diabetes management but does not indicate ongoing bleeding. B. Prothrombin time (PT) changes from 12 seconds to 18 seconds. An increased PT suggests a clotting disorder or anticoagulation therapy effect, which may increase bleeding risk. However, it does not confirm whether the client is still actively bleeding. C. Hematocrit changes from 36% to 32%. A decreasing hematocrit level suggests ongoing blood loss, making this the best indicator that the GI bleeding has not yet resolved. Continued drops in hematocrit indicate a need for further evaluation and possible intervention. D. Guaiac test changes from positive to negative. A negative guaiac test suggests the absence of occult blood in the stool, which is a good sign. However, hematocrit levels provide a more direct measure of ongoing internal blood loss, making hematocrit a better indicator of unresolved bleeding.