Role Responsibilities Flashcards

When preparing a bleach solution for cleaning equipment, the technician accidentally spills undiluted bleach on the floor. Which of these resources will provide the technician with information about how to properly handle the spill of the chemical?

Answer: Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), now often called a Safety Data Sheet (SDS), is a comprehensive document that provides detailed information about a hazardous chemical, including its properties, potential hazards, safe handling procedures, and emergency measures for spills or exposures. It is the primary resource for guidance on how to safely manage a chemical spill like undiluted bleach.

A conductivity alarm sounds during a hemodialysis treatment. The technician should expect which of these events to have occurred:

Answer: The dialyzer was bypassed

A conductivity alarm indicates that the dialysate's electrolyte concentration is outside the safe range, which could harm the patient. When this alarm sounds, the hemodialysis machine is designed to automatically bypass the dialyzer, preventing the unsafe dialysate from reaching the patient's blood. This safety mechanism ensures that treatment is temporarily halted until the conductivity issue is resolved.

During routine water testing, the technician notes that the chloramine level after the first carbon tank is 0.2mg/L. Which of these actions should the technician take next?

Answer: Obtain a sample after the second

Carbon tanks are used in series to remove chlorine and chloramine from the water. If the chloramine level is detected after the first carbon tank, it indicates that the first tank is becoming saturated or is not fully effective. The next step is to check the water after the second carbon tank to ensure that the chloramines are completely removed before the water reaches the patient, as the second tank acts as a safeguard.

A female technician has been caring for a male patient for several months. The patient tells the technician that he is lonely and depressed. He asks the technician to go out to dinner with him. In addition to politely declining the patient's invitation, which of these actions, if any, should be taken:

Answer: Refer the patient to the social worker

Maintaining professional boundaries is crucial in healthcare. While politely declining the invitation is necessary, the patient's expression of loneliness and depression indicates a need for psychosocial support. Referring the patient to the social worker is the appropriate action, as social workers are trained to address emotional well-being, provide counseling, and connect patients with appropriate resources to manage their mental health.

A hemodialysis technician suspects that a patient who is receiving a hemodialysis treatment has an air embolus. After stopping the blood pump, the patient should be placed in which of these positions?

Answer: Left-sided Trendelenburg

In the event of a suspected air embolus, placing the patient in a left-sided Trendelenburg position is a critical intervention. This position helps to trap the air in the right ventricle, preventing it from traveling into the pulmonary circulation and causing a pulmonary embolism. This allows time for the air to be reabsorbed or for medical intervention to remove it, minimizing the risk of severe complications.

If a patient undergoing hemodialysis has a bloodline separation and blood has pooled beneath the access site, the first intervention should be to:

Answer: Stop the blood pump.

A bloodline separation with pooled blood indicates an immediate and potentially severe loss of blood. The first intervention must be to stop the blood pump to halt the flow of blood from the patient, thereby minimizing further blood loss and preventing the dangerous complication of air entering the patient's circulatory system (air embolism). Other actions, while important, are secondary to stopping the immediate threat.

A patient's granddaughter calls the dialysis center and asks for a progress report on her father, who is a patient in the center. The technician should:

Answer: State that patient information cannot be divulged.

Patient information is strictly protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Healthcare professionals are legally and ethically bound to maintain patient confidentiality. Without explicit written consent from the patient, no medical information, including progress reports, can be shared with family members, even close relatives like a granddaughter.

A patient is very anxious during an initial hemodialysis treatment and requires extra attention. When the treatment is completed, the patient offers a $20 tip. The technician should:

Answer: Politely decline the tip.

Healthcare professionals, including hemodialysis technicians, are bound by ethical codes that prohibit accepting gifts or tips from patients. This practice helps maintain professional boundaries, prevents conflicts of interest, and ensures that care is provided based solely on medical need, not on potential personal gain. Politely declining the tip upholds professional integrity and avoids any perception of impropriety.

A patient has been advised to avoid foods high in phosphorus. Foods that the patient should be advised to limit include:

Answer: Dairy products

Patients with kidney disease often need to limit phosphorus intake because their kidneys cannot effectively remove excess phosphorus from the blood, leading to hyperphosphatemia. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are naturally high in phosphorus. Therefore, advising patients to limit these foods is a crucial dietary intervention to manage phosphorus levels and prevent complications like bone disease.

The technician is reinforcing a patient's training regarding the management of fluid intake. The patient, who still urinates, has a base of 1000 ml intake per day. If the patient urinates 500 ml in a 24-hour period, how much fluid is the patient allowed the following day?

Answer: 1500 ml

For patients who still urinate, fluid allowance is typically calculated by adding their 24-hour urine output to a base amount, often 500-1000 ml. In this scenario, the patient has a base intake of 1000 ml and urinates 500 ml. Therefore, the allowed fluid intake for the following day is 1000 ml (base) + 500 ml (urine output) = 1500 ml, helping to maintain fluid balance.

A patient experiences cardiac arrest with no pulse or respiration during hemodialysis. After the technician calls for help, the next action should be to:

Answer: Perform chest compressions immediately.

In a cardiac arrest situation with no pulse or respiration, the immediate priority after calling for help is to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Chest compressions are the most critical component of CPR, as they circulate blood to vital organs like the brain and heart. Delaying compressions to perform other actions would significantly reduce the patient's chances of survival.