An elderly patient with chronic kidney disease receives erythropoietin (EPO) injections. Which risk increases as EPO stimulates red blood cell production under iron-deficient conditions?

💡 Explanation

Erythropoietin stimulates red blood cell production, requiring iron; therefore, under iron-deficient conditions, increased EPO will exacerbate the anemia because the body can't produce enough hemoglobin without sufficient iron. This leads to increased risk of iron-deficiency anemia, rather than preventing it or impacting potassium levels or cardiac arrhythmias.

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