Question

You are attending to an end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patient who has missed dialysis. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A. Patients who have missed dialysis and who become unresponsive and pulseless do not respond very well to the use of an AED.
B. Patients who have missed dialysis and who become unresponsive and pulseless respond very well to the use of an AED.
C. Calling for ALS would not be very helpful since they cannot really do anything that an EMT cannot do in these situations.
D. You should delay transport if necessary to wait for ALS.

Answer 1

Patients who have missed dialysis and who become unresponsive and pulseless do not respond very well to the use of an AED.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this situation, it is most accurate to say that patients who have missed dialysis and who become unresponsive and pulseless do not respond very well to the use of an AED (Option A).

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a condition where the kidneys have lost their ability to function properly and require dialysis or kidney transplantation to sustain life. Missed dialysis sessions can lead to an accumulation of waste products and fluid in the body, which can cause severe complications.

In a patient who has missed dialysis and becomes unresponsive and pulseless, the primary concern is addressing the underlying cause of the cardiac arrest, which is likely due to severe metabolic derangements caused by missed dialysis. While an AED can be used to deliver an electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythm in cases of cardiac arrest, the effectiveness of the AED may be reduced in ESRD patients who have missed dialysis.