A client diagnosed with chronic kidney disease is completing an exchange during peritoneal dialysis. The nurse observes that the peritoneal fluid is draining slowly and that the client’s abdomen is increasing in girth. What is the nurse’s most appropriate action?

Choice A reason: Increased potassium intake is dangerous in ESRD, as impaired kidneys cannot excrete potassium, leading to hyperkalemia. This can disrupt cardiac membrane potentials, causing arrhythmias or cardiac arrest. ESRD diets require strict potassium restriction to prevent life-threatening electrolyte imbalances, making this modification inappropriate.

Choice B reason: Increased protein intake is often recommended in ESRD patients on hemodialysis to replace protein lost during dialysis and prevent malnutrition. However, it must be balanced to avoid excess urea production, which can worsen uremia. This is not the primary focus compared to phosphorus management in this context.

Choice C reason: Decreased phosphorus intake is critical in ESRD, as kidneys cannot excrete phosphate, leading to hyperphosphatemia. This causes vascular calcification and secondary hyperparathyroidism, increasing cardiovascular risk. Dietary phosphorus restriction, often with phosphate binders, prevents these complications, making it a key dietary modification for hemodialysis patients.

Choice D reason: Decreased calcium intake is not recommended in ESRD, as patients often have hypocalcemia due to impaired vitamin D activation and phosphate retention. Calcium supplementation or adequate intake is needed to prevent bone disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism, making this modification incorrect for ESRD management.

Choice A reason: Renal failure impairs erythropoietin production, a hormone stimulating red blood cell synthesis, leading to anemia, not an increased red blood cell count. Reduced glomerular filtration exacerbates toxin accumulation, further suppressing bone marrow activity, making an elevated red blood cell count unlikely in this condition.

Choice B reason: In renal failure, kidneys fail to excrete potassium, leading to hyperkalemia, not decreased serum potassium. Hyperkalemia can cause cardiac arrhythmias due to altered membrane potentials. A decreased potassium level is more associated with conditions like diuretic use or vomiting, not renal failure.

Choice C reason: Increased serum creatinine is a hallmark of renal failure, as kidneys cannot filter creatinine, a muscle metabolism byproduct. Elevated levels reflect reduced glomerular filtration rate, indicating kidney dysfunction. This is a reliable marker for assessing renal failure severity and progression, making it an expected finding.

Choice D reason: Renal failure typically causes hypocalcemia, not increased serum calcium, due to impaired vitamin D activation and phosphate retention, which binds calcium. Hypercalcemia is rare and may occur in other conditions like hyperparathyroidism, not renal failure, where calcium homeostasis is disrupted by kidney dysfunction.