Patient Safety and Quality Assurance Flashcards

Which document must be verified before initiating a dialysis treatment to ensure patient safety?

Answer: The physician's dialysis prescription order

Verifying the physician's dialysis prescription is a mandatory safety step before initiating treatment. The prescription specifies treatment time, blood flow rate, dialysate composition, and dry weight goals.

A patient's post-dialysis weight is 1.5 kg above their prescribed dry weight. What is the appropriate response?

Answer: Document the finding and notify the charge nurse or physician

A weight above dry weight must be documented and reported. The nurse or physician will determine whether additional ultrafiltration is needed or if the dry weight should be reassessed. Unilateral changes to treatment parameters are outside a technician's scope.

How often should a dialysis technician perform a visual check of the extracorporeal blood circuit during treatment?

Answer: At least every 30 minutes throughout the treatment

Regular monitoring of the blood circuit at least every 30 minutes is a standard safety practice. It allows early detection of clotting, blood leak, or line disconnection before a serious event occurs.

Which action is part of a two-patient identifier check in the dialysis setting?

Answer: Verifying the patient's name and date of birth before connecting them to the dialyzer

Two patient identifiers (typically name and date of birth) must be confirmed before initiating treatment. This prevents wrong-patient errors and is a universal healthcare safety standard.

What is the primary goal of tracking machine-specific adverse event rates in a dialysis quality program?

Answer: To identify equipment-related trends that may indicate malfunction or calibration issues

Tracking adverse events by machine allows the biomedical technician and clinical team to identify patterns suggesting equipment malfunction, miscalibration, or the need for preventive maintenance.

In quality assurance, what does a 'sentinel event' refer to in a hemodialysis unit?

Answer: An unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical harm that requires immediate investigation

A sentinel event is an unexpected event resulting in death or serious harm. In dialysis, examples include air embolism or wrong-patient dialysis. These require root-cause analysis and immediate corrective action.