Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate for a patient experiencing myelosuppression secondary to chemotherapy for cancer treatment?

There are choices for this question namely:

A) Acute pain

B) Hypothermia

C) Powerlessness

D) Risk for infection

The correct answer is "risk for infection". Chemotherapy not only targets cancerous or tumor cells but also healthy cells. Myelosuppression is the term used to described the suppression of the cells in the myeloid lineage. These cells include the white blood cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils). In the event of suppression, there will be immune compromise leading to increased risk for infection.