Practice Test GeeksCCHT - Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician Practice Test
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Electrolyte Balance Flashcards

6 cards from real CCHT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A patient's pre-dialysis potassium level is 6.8 mEq/L with peaked T waves on ECG. Which dialysate potassium concentration would be most appropriate?

    Answer: 1.0 mEq/L

    Severe hyperkalemia with ECG changes requires aggressive potassium removal using a 1.0 mEq/L dialysate, which maximizes the gradient for potassium diffusion from blood to dialysate.

  2. What is the physiological consequence of using dialysate with a calcium concentration lower than the patient's serum calcium?

    Answer: Calcium will move from blood into dialysate, potentially lowering serum calcium

    When dialysate calcium is lower than serum calcium, the concentration gradient causes calcium to diffuse out of the blood into the dialysate, lowering serum levels.

  3. Which acid-base disturbance is most common in ESRD patients before dialysis treatment?

    Answer: Metabolic acidosis

    ESRD patients develop metabolic acidosis because the kidneys can no longer excrete acid or regenerate bicarbonate, causing accumulation of organic acids.

  4. Why is hyperphosphatemia particularly dangerous for hemodialysis patients beyond the known bone disease effects?

    Answer: It promotes vascular and soft tissue calcification, increasing cardiovascular mortality

    Elevated phosphorus combines with calcium to form calcium-phosphate deposits in blood vessels and soft tissues (vascular calcification), dramatically increasing cardiovascular risk.

  5. What effect does bicarbonate concentration in dialysate have on the patient's serum pH?

    Answer: Higher bicarbonate dialysate increases serum pH by adding bicarbonate to blood

    Bicarbonate in dialysate diffuses into the blood down its concentration gradient, increasing serum bicarbonate and normalizing low pH (metabolic acidosis).

  6. A patient on dialysis has a serum magnesium of 0.8 mEq/L. Standard dialysate contains 0.75 to 1.0 mEq/L of magnesium. What would you expect to happen to magnesium levels during dialysis?

    Answer: Minimal change or slight increase since dialysate and serum levels are similar

    Since serum magnesium (0.8) is near standard dialysate magnesium (0.75 to 1.0), the small concentration gradient produces minimal net movement.