Interpretation of Common Laboratory Values Flashcards
7 cards from real CCHT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Interpretation of Common Laboratory Values flashcards as text
A high pre-dialysis Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) level most likely indicates:
Answer: Inadequate dialysis or excessive protein intake.
BUN is a waste product of protein metabolism. A high pre-dialysis level can indicate that the previous dialysis treatment was not adequate to clear the waste products, or the patient is consuming more protein than recommended.
A hemodialysis patient's lab results show a low hemoglobin and hematocrit. This is most commonly associated with:
Answer: Anemia of chronic kidney disease.
Diseased kidneys produce less erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. This leads to anemia, which is characterized by low hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.
A patient's pre-dialysis potassium level is 6.8 mEq/L. This finding is considered:
Answer: Critically high and requires immediate attention.
A normal serum potassium level is typically 3.5-5.0 mEq/L. A level of 6.8 mEq/L is considered critically high (hyperkalemia) and can lead to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, requiring immediate intervention.
In chronic kidney disease, what is the typical relationship between serum calcium and serum phosphorus levels before treatment?
Answer: Calcium is low, and phosphorus is high.
Failing kidneys are unable to excrete phosphorus effectively, leading to high serum phosphorus (hyperphosphatemia). The high phosphorus levels and lack of activated Vitamin D lead to low serum calcium (hypocalcemia).
The Urea Reduction Ratio (URR) is a primary method used to measure:
Answer: The adequacy of a hemodialysis treatment.
URR calculates the percentage of urea removed during a single dialysis session by comparing pre- and post-dialysis BUN levels. A URR of 65% or greater is the minimum acceptable standard, indicating adequate treatment.
Serum creatinine is a waste product that is primarily used as a marker for:
Answer: Muscle breakdown and kidney function.
Creatinine is a waste product generated from normal muscle metabolism. Healthy kidneys filter creatinine from the blood, so when kidney function declines, serum creatinine levels rise, making it a reliable indicator.
In the context of dialysis adequacy, what does Kt/V represent?
Answer: A calculation involving clearance, time, and volume to measure dose of dialysis.
Kt/V is a measure of dialysis adequacy. 'K' represents the dialyzer's clearance of urea, 't' is the treatment time, and 'V' is the patient's total body water volume. The formula provides a measure of the 'dose' of dialysis delivered.