Rectal bleeding is common in ulcerative colitis. Which question should the nurse ask to assess for possible anemia?

• A. Do you hear ringing in your ears?
• B. Do you feel fatigued or light-headed?
• C. Do you experience tremors or headaches?
• D. Do you have trouble remembering recent events?

Answer: (B)

When evaluating for anemia in ulcerative colitis with rectal bleeding, the focus is on symptoms that reflect reduced oxygen delivery from lower hemoglobin levels. Fatigue and feeling light-headed are classic, direct indicators of anemia caused by ongoing blood loss and iron deficiency. Asking, “Do you feel fatigued or light-headed?” targets this key effect of anemia and helps identify functional impact on daily life and stability.

The other symptoms are less specific in this setting. Ringing in the ears isn’t a typical early sign of anemia and isn’t a reliable screen in this context. Tremors or headaches can have many causes and don’t point specifically to anemia. Trouble remembering recent events isn’t an expected or common presentation of iron-deficiency anemia.

So, focusing on fatigue or light-headedness directly assesses the most relevant clinical consequence of chronic GI blood loss in this patient.