Renal Replacement Therapy and Dialysis

This set covers the classifications, major types, mechanisms, and nursing considerations for renal replacement therapy and dialysis based on the lecture notes.

Acute Dialysis

A classification of renal replacement therapy where a patient requires only a few sessions for an acute issue.

Chronic Dialysis

A classification of renal replacement therapy required long-term for patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Hemodialysis (HD)

A type of dialysis where blood is filtered through an external kidney or dialyzer, commonly performed in centers 3 to 4 times a week.

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)

A type of dialysis that utilizes the patient's own peritoneum to complete the treatment, frequently performed at home.

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)

A continuous form of hemodialysis specifically for critically ill patients.

Osmosis

The removal of excess fluid from the blood as water moves from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration, such as the dialysis bath.

Diffusion

The removal of waste products from the patient's blood as they move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration in the dialysate.

Ultrafiltration

The movement of fluid from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure, accomplished by applying a suctioning type force to the dialysis membrane.

AV Fistula

The preferred method of permanent vascular access for HD, created by surgically joining an artery and a vein; it requires several weeks to mature.

AV Graft

A permanent vascular access created by placing a synthetic piece of material to link an artery and a vein when the patient's natural veins are unsuitable.

Non-tunneled Catheter

A short-term central line access, usually in the internal jugular, used for acute dialysis or while waiting for a fistula to mature.

Tunneled Catheter

A more permanent short-term version of vascular access typically placed in the subclavian vein that allows the patient to start outpatient dialysis sessions.

Exchange

The peritoneal dialysis process consisting of draining previous fluid from the abdomen followed by the installation of new dialysis fluid.

Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)

A type of PD where exchanges are performed manually by gravity, usually several times throughout the day.

Continuous Cyclic Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD)

A type of PD where treatment is completed by a cycler machine that automatically performs exchanges, generally while the patient is sleeping.

Thrill

The strong, vibrating pulse sensation felt during the assessment of a functioning fistula or graft.

Bruit

The rushing sound heard via stethoscope over a fistula or graft, indicating turbulent blood flow.

Renal Dosing

The adjustment of medication frequency or dosage for dialysis patients, such as giving certain meds only on dialysis days.