Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

The most likely diagnosis for a patient displaying fatigue, pallor, and petechiae alongside abnormal coagulation studies and thrombocytopenia is Acute leukemia. This condition often presents with bone marrow failure leading to anemia (causing fatigue and pallor) and reduced platelet production (resulting in petechiae and prolonged coagulation times). While both DIC and ITP could explain the thrombocytopenia and petechiae, the simultaneous presence of elevated PT and PTT without a primary trigger such as sepsis or significant hemorrhage suggests a primary hematologic disorder like leukemia rather than a secondary process.