Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) Practice Exam

The Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) value is a crucial biomarker in the assessment of potential organ transplant recipients. It specifically measures the level of sensitization a recipient has to donor antigens. A higher PRA percentage indicates that the recipient has developed antibodies against a larger percentage of the general population's antigens, suggesting a higher likelihood of a negative immunological response to a transplanted organ from a donor.

Understanding the PRA value is essential since it helps to determine the transplant options available for the recipient. If a recipient is highly sensitized (high PRA), finding a compatible donor may be more challenging, as there will be fewer donors whose antigens do not elicit a strong immune response. This information is critical for transplant centers when evaluating patients and strategizing on matching them with potential organ donors effectively.

The other options presented do not relate directly to what the PRA measures. For instance, the size of the organ needed does not correlate with the PRA; neither does the recipient's income status, which is not clinically relevant to immunological matching. The length of wait for a transplant can be influenced by many factors but is not directly indicated by the PRA value itself.