Patient Assessment and Monitoring in Dialysis Flashcards
7 cards from real CHT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment and Monitoring in Dialysis flashcards as text
What does 'interdialytic weight gain' primarily reflect in a hemodialysis patient?
Answer: Fluid accumulated between dialysis sessions due to inability to excrete water
Interdialytic weight gain predominantly reflects fluid accumulation between sessions, since ESRD patients cannot excrete excess water through normal renal function.
Which laboratory value serves as the primary indicator for assessing hemodialysis treatment adequacy?
Answer: Urea reduction ratio (URR) or Kt/V urea
URR and Kt/V measure urea clearance, which serves as the standard surrogate for overall uremic toxin removal and dialysis adequacy.
During hemodialysis, which clinical presentation is most characteristic of an air embolism?
Answer: Sudden hypotension, dyspnea, cyanosis, and a mill-wheel cardiac murmur
Air embolism classically presents with sudden hypotension, dyspnea, cyanosis, and a characteristic mill-wheel murmur caused by air churning in the cardiac chambers.
What is the generally recommended maximum ultrafiltration rate to reduce the risk of intradialytic hypotension?
Answer: Less than 13 mL/kg/hour
Current evidence-based guidelines recommend keeping ultrafiltration rates below 13 mL/kg/hour to minimize cardiovascular stress and intradialytic hypotension risk.
After completing hemodialysis, a patient's post-treatment weight should ideally match which reference value?
Answer: The patient's established dry weight (target weight)
Post-dialysis weight should equal the patient's established dry weight, confirming that appropriate fluid removal was achieved without over- or under-ultrafiltration.
Which pre-dialysis physical assessment finding is most consistent with fluid overload in a hemodialysis patient?
Answer: Bilateral pitting edema of the lower extremities and shortness of breath
Bilateral pitting edema and dyspnea are hallmark signs of fluid overload, indicating excess fluid that hemodialysis must remove during the treatment session.
A palpable thrill and audible bruit over an arteriovenous fistula indicate which of the following?
Answer: Adequate blood flow through a functioning, patent fistula
A palpable thrill (vibration) and audible bruit (rushing sound) are the normal expected findings of turbulent, high-velocity blood flow through a patent AV fistula.