Final answer:
If a patient receiving continuous replacement therapy has blood-tinged filtrate, treatment should be suspended immediately to prevent further harm and facilitate the investigation of the cause.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option is C:
If a patient receiving continuous replacement therapy has a filtrate that is blood tinged, the priority action would be to suspend treatment immediately (C). This step is vital to prevent further blood loss and any potential damage to the patient's health due to the treatment's malfunction. Once the treatment is suspended, the cause of the blood-tinged filtrate should be investigated urgently. It could indicate that there has been a breach in the system, such as a broken filter, or patient-related issues like a bleeding complication.
Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a type of dialysis used to treat critically ill patients with acute kidney injury, and the appearance of blood in the filtrate is an uncommon but serious concern. It signals that there might be damage to the membrane or that the blood might be leaking from somewhere within the circuit. Treatment should be halted, the source of the bleeding identified, and necessary interventions should be made, such as fixing or replacing parts of the dialysis equipment or addressing any patient-related factors contributing to the problem.
Administering vitamin K or placing the patient in the Trendelenburg position are not immediate priorities in the situation described. Establishing a peripheral intravenous line might be necessary if the patient needs emergent medications or fluids, but it is not the first step to take when you notice blood in the filtrate during CRRT.