Question

The student nurse is observing the administration of peritoneal dialysis by the dialysis nurse. What statement made by the student to the nurse demonstrates understanding about the dialysis process?

A. "The use of a hemofilter will return blood back to the patient."
B. "The Dacron cuff will return blood from the dialyzer back to the patient."
C. "The red catheter lumen will return blood from the dialyzer back to the patient."
D. "The blue catheter lumen will return blood from the dialyzer back to the patient."

Answer 1

None of the options (A, B, C, D) correctly describes peritoneal dialysis, as they all reference aspects of hemodialysis. A correct statement regarding peritoneal dialysis would involve the use of a dialysate solution in the abdominal cavity to absorb and then remove waste from the blood.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's statement that demonstrates an understanding of the peritoneal dialysis process would be none of the options provided (A, B, C, or D). These options all incorrectly discuss the return of blood to the patient, which is a component of hemodialysis, not peritoneal dialysis. In peritoneal dialysis, a dialysate solution is introduced into the abdominal cavity through a catheter, where it absorbs waste products from the blood vessels in the abdominal lining. The waste-filled fluid is then drained away. Options A through D describe elements of hemodialysis, which is the process where a patient's blood is filtered externally through a machine, where waste products like urea are removed before the clean blood is returned to the body.

Therefore, a correct statement by the student that would demonstrate an understanding of the dialysis process, specifically peritoneal dialysis, would involve the use of dialysate solution and the abdominal cavity, not components such as a hemofilter or a red or blue catheter lumen, which are related to hemodialysis.