A patient has developed a pressure ulcer. Which laboratory data will be important for the nurse to check?

A) Vitamin E
B) Potassium
C) Albumin
D) Sodium

Normal wound healing requires proper nutrition. Serum proteins are biochemical indicators of malnutrition, and serum albumin is probably the most frequently measured of these parameters. The best measurement of nutritional status is prealbumin because it reflects not only what the patient has ingested but also what the body has absorbed, digested, and metabolized. Zinc and copper are the minerals important for wound healing, not potassium and sodium. Vitamins A and C are important for wound healing, not vitamin E.