Module 5: Dialyzer Reprocessing Self-Test Sample Questions

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* 1. Which of the following is a benefit of dialyzer reprocessing?

Making dialyzer membranes more biocompatible for patients

Keeping millions of pounds of medical waste out of landfills

Removing the protein coating that adheres to the membrane

Making the membrane pores larger, to remove more wastes

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* 2. Which of these mistakes could let bacteria grow in a dialyzer after reprocessing?

Using the wrong-sized dialyzer for the patient

Failing to properly disconnect the bloodlines

Outdated, poorly mixed, or too little germicide

Rinsing the dialyzer with full strength bleach

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* 3. If a patient starts to have chills during a treatment, what steps will the team take?

Take blood for electrolytes and check for HIPAA violations

Offer a drink of ice-water and take off the patient’s blanket

Put the patient’s feet in cold water and aim a fan at the patient

Culture the blood and dialysate and check for reuse errors

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* 4. When reverse ultrafiltration is used for pre-cleaning, what is the first step?

Fill the dialysate compartment with saline

Purge all air from the dialysate compartment

Fill the dialysate compartment with air

Purge all air from the blood compartment

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* 5. If your clinic chooses to pre-clean dialyzers before reprocessing, what kind of water would you use?

Distilled

Sterile

Dialysate

ANSI/AAMI quality

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* 6. What do we do with the saline prime before we start blood flow to a reprocessed dialyzer?

Replace it with fresh saline

Give it to the patient

We do not need to prime with a reprocessed dialyzer

Recirculate it for an extra 3 minutes

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* 7. Research has found that compared to using a new dialyzer for each treatment, patient survival with reprocessed dialyzers is:

We don’t know, there are no studies

Better

Worse

About the same

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* 8. How are germs able to get inside a dialyzer?

Germs leach out of the patient’s blood

Germs are in non-sterile dialysate water

Acid concentrate powder contains germs

Bicarbonate concentrate contains germs

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* 9. What information on a dialyzer must never be covered up by a patient label?

A. The total cell volume

B. Model or lot numbers

C. Arrows for blood and dialysate flow

D. The dialyzer size and KUF

A and D

B and C

None of the above

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* 10. What makes hollow fiber dialyzers well-suited for reuse?

They are small and fit easily into a refrigerator

They are strong and can be rinsed using high pressure

They are clear, so you can tell if chemicals are inside

They are round, so they fit in a reprocessing machine well