A patient with chronic renal failure is being treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The nurse realizes this process:
Explanation
• Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis is a type of peritoneal dialysis that does not require a machine. The walls of the abdominal cavity, called the peritoneum, allow waste products, including creatinine and extra fluids, to be removed from the blood through the process of osmosis and diffusion
• The dialysis solution is left in the abdomen for 3 to 5 hours, and the patient is allowed to walk around during the dwell time
• Hemodialysis uses the process of ultrafiltration, which requires continuous contact between the blood and dialyzer to clear toxins