An intensive care nurse prepares to teach a client with an acute kidney injury about the initiation of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Which statement should the nurse include in the teaching?

Rationale: A. The catheter placed in the abdomen is used for peritoneal dialysis, which uses the peritoneal cavity as a filtration membrane. CRRT, however, is a vascular-based therapy, requiring direct access to the bloodstream to continuously remove fluid and solutes. Teaching a patient that CRRT will use an abdominal catheter would be incorrect and misleading. B. CRRT is indicated for critically ill clients with acute kidney injury who are often hemodynamically unstable. It requires continuous blood flow at lower rates compared with intermittent hemodialysis. The therapy is administered via a central venous catheter inserted in the internal jugular, femoral, or subclavian vein. This allows access to large blood vessels, providing adequate flow for continuous filtration while minimizing hemodynamic instability. Explaining to the patient that the CRRT machine will attach to a central line placed in the chest accurately describes the process and prepares the patient for what to expect. This is the correct teaching statement. C. Arteriovenous fistulas are created surgically in the arm for long-term intermittent hemodialysis. They are not suitable for CRRT because continuous therapy requires temporary, high-flow vascular access. Teaching about a fistula would confuse the patient and is not clinically appropriate for acute CRRT initiation. D. Similar to a fistula, a synthetic arteriovenous shunt is used for intermittent hemodialysis, not CRRT. Shunts carry a risk of infection and thrombosis if used for continuous therapy, making them inappropriate for acute critically ill clients.