FREE CCHT Interpretation of Common Laboratory Values Questions and Answers

Question 1

A high pre-dialysis Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) level most likely indicates:

Accepted Answer

Inadequate dialysis or excessive protein intake.

Answer

BUN is a waste product of protein metabolism. A high pre-dialysis level can indicate that the previous dialysis treatment was not adequate to clear the waste products, or the patient is consuming more protein than recommended.

Question 2

A hemodialysis patient's lab results show a low hemoglobin and hematocrit. This is most commonly associated with:

Accepted Answer

Anemia of chronic kidney disease.

Answer

Diseased kidneys produce less erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. This leads to anemia, which is characterized by low hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.

Question 3

A patient's pre-dialysis potassium level is 6.8 mEq/L. This finding is considered:

Accepted Answer

Critically high and requires immediate attention.

Answer

A normal serum potassium level is typically 3.5-5.0 mEq/L. A level of 6.8 mEq/L is considered critically high (hyperkalemia) and can lead to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, requiring immediate intervention.

Question 4

In chronic kidney disease, what is the typical relationship between serum calcium and serum phosphorus levels before treatment?

Accepted Answer

Calcium is low, and phosphorus is high.

Answer

Failing kidneys are unable to excrete phosphorus effectively, leading to high serum phosphorus (hyperphosphatemia). The high phosphorus levels and lack of activated Vitamin D lead to low serum calcium (hypocalcemia).

Question 5

The Urea Reduction Ratio (URR) is a primary method used to measure:

Accepted Answer

The adequacy of a hemodialysis treatment.

Answer

URR calculates the percentage of urea removed during a single dialysis session by comparing pre- and post-dialysis BUN levels. A URR of 65% or greater is the minimum acceptable standard, indicating adequate treatment.

CCHT - Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician Practice Test

CCHT - Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician Practice Test

FREE CCHT Interpretation of Common Laboratory Values Questions and Answers