FRESENIUS PCT 2026 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔when to change gloves and perform hand hygiene - ✔✔-going from dirty area to
clean area
-going from machine to patient or machine to machine
-if gloves are visibly soiled
-working with c. diff patient
✔✔precautions to take in dialysis - ✔✔-approach ALL patients as infectious/sanitize
everything
-all blood, fluid, tissues, needles, sharps ARE contaminated
-all used treatment equipment/supplies ARE contaminated
✔✔hepatitis b characteristics - ✔✔-HIGHLY contagious virus that affects the liver
-spread through infected blood and body fluids
-can live for 7 days on surfaces
-often spread through cross contamination
-hep b Ab > 10 = immunity
-hep b Ab < 10 = susceptible
✔✔how to stop spread of hepatitis b - ✔✔-test for hepatitis b antigen
-patients who are immune can be placed in buffer zone (chairs outside the isolation
room)
-techs and nurses can ONLY work with hepatitis b immune patients if caring for a
hepatitis b positive patient
-place positive patients in the isolation (ISO) room
✔✔disinfection process and bleach - ✔✔-1:100 bleach = 1 part bleach to 99 parts water
-1:10 bleach = 1 part bleach to 9 parts water
-store bleach in opaque containers and verify solution with residual strips
-bleach is good for 24 hours
✔✔3 d's of dialysis - ✔✔DISCARD: disposable items such as gauze and syringes
DISINFECT: non disposable items that can be disinfected such as BP cuffs,
stethoscope, and thermometers
DEDICATE: non disposable items that can't be disinfected such as adhesive tape
✔✔what is the process of cleaning a blood spill of less than 10ml? - ✔✔-hand hygiene
and put on gloves
-soak cloth in 1:100 bleach
-wipe down blood spill
-discard cloth
-repeat process as necessary
, ✔✔what is the process of cleaning a blood spill of more than 10 ml? - ✔✔-hand hygiene
and put on gloves
-soak cloth in 1:10 bleach
-clean the blood spill
-discard cloth and perform hand hygiene
-apply new gloves
-soak a cloth in 1:100 bleach and wipe down remainder of blood spill
-repeat steps as necessary
✔✔what makes up the concentrate used in dialysis? - ✔✔acid, bicarb, and RO water
✔✔what is the function of the diasafe filter located on the back of the machine? -
✔✔delivers ultrapure dialysate
✔✔terms to know: - ✔✔BFR: blood flow rate; how fast blood flow moves
DFR: dialysate flow rate; how fast dialysate moves
UF: ultrafiltration
UFR: ultrafiltration rate; how fast fluid moves
Conductivity: the ability of a fluid to carry an electrical charge
pH: measure of how many acid/base ions are in a solution
Temperature: too warm (hemolysis) too cold (crenation)
Osmosis: movement of a solvent (water) from low concentration to high concentration
across a semi permeable membrane
Diffusion: movement of solutes across a semi permeable membrane from an area of
high concentration to low
Homeostasis: state of equilibrium in which all parameters of the body (temp, pH, heart
rate, BP, O2 saturation) are optimally maintained
✔✔conductivity notes: - ✔✔-definition: how well a fluid can transfer an electrical charge
-range of actual conductivity: 13.5-14.5
-independent conductivity MUST be (+/- 0.3 mS/cm) from machine conductivity
-theoretical conductivity (TCD): (+/- 0.5 mS/cm)
-blood with low conductivity will appear a light red color while dialyzing (hemolysis)
-blood with high conductivity will appear a very dark red/almost black color while
dialyzing (crenation)
-NOTE: CVC patients blood will always be very dark while dialyzing due to recirculation,
not crenation
✔✔types of potassium baths used in dialysis: - ✔✔1K: least amount of potassium used
for someone with high levels of potassium
2K: most common bath, patient has medium levels of potassium
-3K: highest amount of potassium for patients with low potassium levels
-all baths are prescribed by physician
✔✔what baths are located in the wall box? - ✔✔-2.0K, 2.5Ca
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔when to change gloves and perform hand hygiene - ✔✔-going from dirty area to
clean area
-going from machine to patient or machine to machine
-if gloves are visibly soiled
-working with c. diff patient
✔✔precautions to take in dialysis - ✔✔-approach ALL patients as infectious/sanitize
everything
-all blood, fluid, tissues, needles, sharps ARE contaminated
-all used treatment equipment/supplies ARE contaminated
✔✔hepatitis b characteristics - ✔✔-HIGHLY contagious virus that affects the liver
-spread through infected blood and body fluids
-can live for 7 days on surfaces
-often spread through cross contamination
-hep b Ab > 10 = immunity
-hep b Ab < 10 = susceptible
✔✔how to stop spread of hepatitis b - ✔✔-test for hepatitis b antigen
-patients who are immune can be placed in buffer zone (chairs outside the isolation
room)
-techs and nurses can ONLY work with hepatitis b immune patients if caring for a
hepatitis b positive patient
-place positive patients in the isolation (ISO) room
✔✔disinfection process and bleach - ✔✔-1:100 bleach = 1 part bleach to 99 parts water
-1:10 bleach = 1 part bleach to 9 parts water
-store bleach in opaque containers and verify solution with residual strips
-bleach is good for 24 hours
✔✔3 d's of dialysis - ✔✔DISCARD: disposable items such as gauze and syringes
DISINFECT: non disposable items that can be disinfected such as BP cuffs,
stethoscope, and thermometers
DEDICATE: non disposable items that can't be disinfected such as adhesive tape
✔✔what is the process of cleaning a blood spill of less than 10ml? - ✔✔-hand hygiene
and put on gloves
-soak cloth in 1:100 bleach
-wipe down blood spill
-discard cloth
-repeat process as necessary
, ✔✔what is the process of cleaning a blood spill of more than 10 ml? - ✔✔-hand hygiene
and put on gloves
-soak cloth in 1:10 bleach
-clean the blood spill
-discard cloth and perform hand hygiene
-apply new gloves
-soak a cloth in 1:100 bleach and wipe down remainder of blood spill
-repeat steps as necessary
✔✔what makes up the concentrate used in dialysis? - ✔✔acid, bicarb, and RO water
✔✔what is the function of the diasafe filter located on the back of the machine? -
✔✔delivers ultrapure dialysate
✔✔terms to know: - ✔✔BFR: blood flow rate; how fast blood flow moves
DFR: dialysate flow rate; how fast dialysate moves
UF: ultrafiltration
UFR: ultrafiltration rate; how fast fluid moves
Conductivity: the ability of a fluid to carry an electrical charge
pH: measure of how many acid/base ions are in a solution
Temperature: too warm (hemolysis) too cold (crenation)
Osmosis: movement of a solvent (water) from low concentration to high concentration
across a semi permeable membrane
Diffusion: movement of solutes across a semi permeable membrane from an area of
high concentration to low
Homeostasis: state of equilibrium in which all parameters of the body (temp, pH, heart
rate, BP, O2 saturation) are optimally maintained
✔✔conductivity notes: - ✔✔-definition: how well a fluid can transfer an electrical charge
-range of actual conductivity: 13.5-14.5
-independent conductivity MUST be (+/- 0.3 mS/cm) from machine conductivity
-theoretical conductivity (TCD): (+/- 0.5 mS/cm)
-blood with low conductivity will appear a light red color while dialyzing (hemolysis)
-blood with high conductivity will appear a very dark red/almost black color while
dialyzing (crenation)
-NOTE: CVC patients blood will always be very dark while dialyzing due to recirculation,
not crenation
✔✔types of potassium baths used in dialysis: - ✔✔1K: least amount of potassium used
for someone with high levels of potassium
2K: most common bath, patient has medium levels of potassium
-3K: highest amount of potassium for patients with low potassium levels
-all baths are prescribed by physician
✔✔what baths are located in the wall box? - ✔✔-2.0K, 2.5Ca
