Final answer:
Mrs. Thirsty's UF Goal for dialysis is 4.8 kg, which is the difference between her pre-dialysis weight of 77.8 kg and her target weight of 73 kg. The calculation ignores the rinse back process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding UF Goal in Dialysis
The question relates to calculating the Ultrafiltration (UF) Goal for a dialysis patient. Mrs. Thirsty's UF Goal would be the difference between her pre-dialysis weight and her target weight. In this case, her pre-dialysis weight is 77.8 kg and her target weight is 73 kg. The UF Goal is calculated as 4.8 kg (77.8 kg - 73 kg), which is the amount of fluid that should be removed during her dialysis session to reach her target weight. This goal is important to avoid fluid overload or under removal of fluid which can lead to various health complications.
Rinse back is a term used in dialysis to describe the process of using a small amount of saline to transfer all the blood from the dialysis filter back into the patient at the end of the treatment, thereby minimizing blood loss. As specified in the question, we are not including rinse back in the UF Goal calculation.