Question

Diffusion, osmosis, and ultrafiltration occur in both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. The nurse should know that ultrafiltration in peritoneal dialysis is achieved by which method?

1) Increasing the pressure gradient
2) Increasing osmolality of the dialysate
3) Decreasing the glucose in the dialysate
4) Decreasing the concentration of the dialysate

Answer 1

Ultrafiltration in peritoneal dialysis is achieved by increasing the osmolality of the dialysate, which creates an osmotic gradient that facilitates the removal of water and waste products from the blood.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should know that ultrafiltration in peritoneal dialysis is achieved by increasing osmolality of the dialysate, which is option 2. Osmosis is the movement of water through a semi-permeable membrane from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration, driven by the imbalance in water concentration. In peritoneal dialysis, increasing the osmolality of the dialysate creates an osmotic gradient that draws excess water and waste products from the blood into the dialysate, thus achieving ultrafiltration without the need to increase the pressure gradient.