Medication Administration and Anticoagulation 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 Medication Administration and Anticoagulation flashcards as text
Which electrolyte imbalance most commonly requires emergent treatment during hemodialysis, and what medication may be given IV?
Answer: Hyperkalemia treated with calcium gluconate or dextrose/insulin
Hyperkalemia is life-threatening in dialysis patients; IV calcium gluconate stabilizes the cardiac membrane, and dextrose/insulin shift potassium intracellularly as temporizing measures.
What is the purpose of administering normal saline (0.9% NaCl) boluses during a hemodialysis session?
Answer: Treat intradialytic hypotension
Normal saline boluses are given during dialysis to treat intradialytic hypotension by rapidly expanding intravascular volume.
When administering medications through the dialysis circuit, the CCHT must be aware that some drugs are removed by dialysis. Which drug class is most efficiently cleared during hemodialysis?
Answer: Small water-soluble drugs with low protein binding
Small, water-soluble, non-protein-bound drugs are most efficiently cleared by dialysis due to their ability to cross the semipermeable membrane.
A hemodialysis patient receives IV vancomycin for a catheter-related bloodstream infection. Why is post-dialysis dosing often preferred?
Answer: Dialysis significantly removes vancomycin, so post-dialysis dosing replaces what was cleared
Hemodialysis removes a significant portion of vancomycin, especially with high-flux membranes, so post-dialysis dosing ensures therapeutic levels are maintained.
What action should the CCHT take if a patient reports sudden chest tightness and urticaria shortly after IV iron administration is started?
Answer: Stop the infusion, call the nurse/physician, and prepare for anaphylaxis management
Sudden chest tightness and urticaria after IV iron suggest an anaphylactic reaction; the infusion must be stopped immediately and emergency support initiated.
Which of the following is a key difference between 'heparin-free' dialysis and standard anticoagulated dialysis?
Answer: Heparin-free dialysis relies on frequent saline flushes and higher blood flow to minimize clotting
In heparin-free dialysis, clotting is minimized by using frequent normal saline flushes and maintaining high blood flow rates rather than systemic anticoagulation.
A physician orders 5,000 units of heparin as a bolus for a 70 kg patient. The available concentration is 1,000 units/mL. How many mL should be administered?
Answer: 5 mL
5,000 units ÷ 1,000 units/mL = 5 mL; accurate dose calculation is essential to prevent under- or over-anticoagulation.