Final answer:
Priority nursing interventions for acute renal failure include monitoring fluid status, managing electrolytes, ensuring adequate nutrition, preventing infection, and supporting dialysis treatment if necessary. Accurate diagnosis and understanding of the ARF type are crucial to plan appropriate care.
Step-by-step explanation:
The priority nursing interventions for acute renal failure (ARF) complications center around several key objectives, which include ensuring adequate renal perfusion, managing fluid and electrolyte balance, and preventing further renal damage. Some essential interventions are:
- Monitoring fluid status: Measure intake and output to assess fluid overload or deficit. Pay close attention to signs and symptoms of fluid overload, such as edema and hypertension.
- Managing electrolytes: Regularly monitor electrolyte levels and administer medications or therapies to correct imbalances, such as hyperkalemia.
- Ensuring adequate nutrition: Provide a diet that is low in protein, phosphorus, and sodium to reduce the kidneys' work.
- Preventing infection: Maintain aseptic technique and close monitoring for signs of infection, as patients with ARF are at increased risk.
- Dialysis: If indicated, prepare and support patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) to remove waste products and excess fluids from the blood.
It is crucial to diagnose ARF accurately; nurses should collaborate with the healthcare team to identify the cause of ARF and monitor changes in serum creatinine and urine output carefully. Understanding whether the ARF is pre-renal, intrinsic renal, or post-renal is essential to guide appropriate treatment.