which laboratory value does the nurse anticipate will most likely be altered in a client experiencing protein energy wasting?

The laboratory value the nurse most likely anticipates to be altered in a client experiencing protein energy wasting (PEW) is serum albumin. Serum albumin is a key protein in the bloodstream that reflects prolonged protein deficiency intake over several weeks, often used as a marker of malnutrition and protein energy wasting. Low serum albumin levels indicate a state of inadequate protein availability in the body, which is characteristic of PEW. Additional laboratory values sometimes assessed in relation to PEW include prealbumin (which reflects more recent protein intake), total cholesterol, and normalized protein nitrogen appearance (nPNA) rate, but serum albumin remains the primary indicator the nurse expects to be altered in PEW conditions.