A nurse is caring for a client following his first hemodialysis treatment. The client reports a headache, nausea, and restlessness. The nurse should identify these findings as manifestations of which of the following complications?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Peritonitis: This complication occurs with peritoneal dialysis, not hemodialysis. It presents with abdominal pain, cloudy dialysate, and fever rather than neurological symptoms like headache and restlessness. B. Dialysis disequilibrium: Rapid removal of urea during the first dialysis session can create osmotic shifts, leading to cerebral edema. Symptoms include headache, nausea, restlessness, vomiting, and in severe cases, seizures. C. Air embolism: This would cause sudden chest pain, dyspnea, hypotension, and tachycardia. It is an acute, life-threatening complication, not typically presenting with headache and mild neurologic symptoms alone. D. Septicemia: Infection during dialysis usually manifests with fever, chills, hypotension, and malaise, not primarily with neurologic symptoms immediately following treatment.