Hemodialysis

Etiology / Pathophysiology

• Dialysis replaces part of kidney filtration for selected kidney failure clients.
• Blood is filtered through a machine to remove waste, electrolytes, and fluid.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Nursing actions

• Assess access bruit/thrill before treatment for fistula/graft.
• Avoid BP, IV sticks, or blood draws in access arm.
• Monitor hypotension, cramps, bleeding, disequilibrium symptoms, and weight change.

Complications

• Hypotension
• Bleeding
• Access infection
• Disequilibrium syndrome

NCLEX cues

• No bruit/thrill is urgent.
• Expected post-dialysis weight is lower.

Memory hooks

• Protect the access; it is the lifeline.

Labs / Diagnostics

• Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.

Review notes

• Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.