Certified Dialysis Nurse Flashcards

A hemodialysis patient's access site shows redness, warmth, and purulent drainage. What is the nurse's priority action?

Answer: Notify the physician and obtain a culture

Signs of access site infection require immediate physician notification and culture collection to guide antibiotic therapy.

Which electrolyte imbalance is most commonly associated with muscle cramps during hemodialysis?

Answer: Hypocalcemia

Hypocalcemia is a common cause of muscle cramps during dialysis due to calcium shifts across the dialyzer membrane.

A peritoneal dialysis patient reports cloudy effluent with abdominal pain and fever. The nurse should suspect:

Answer: Peritonitis

Cloudy effluent combined with abdominal pain and fever is the classic triad of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis.

The Kt/V value in hemodialysis measures which of the following?

Answer: Dialysis adequacy by urea clearance

Kt/V is the standard measure of dialysis adequacy, representing urea clearance (K) × time (t) divided by urea distribution volume (V).

Which medication should be administered with meals to a dialysis patient with hyperphosphatemia?

Answer: Phosphate binder

Phosphate binders must be taken with meals to bind dietary phosphate in the gut before absorption.

A patient on hemodialysis has a serum potassium of 6.8 mEq/L before treatment. Which dialysate potassium concentration is most appropriate?

Answer: 2 mEq/L

A 2 mEq/L dialysate potassium creates an adequate gradient to remove excess potassium from a severely hyperkalemic patient.

When priming a hemodialysis circuit, the nurse notices air in the venous drip chamber. The correct action is to:

Answer: Tap the chamber gently and adjust the blood level

Gently tapping the drip chamber and adjusting the fluid level removes air bubbles before initiating treatment to prevent air embolism.