During dialysis, a patient reports feeling chilled. In addition to giving a blanket, what action should the technician take?

During dialysis, a patient reports feeling chilled. In addition to giving a blanket, what action should the technician take?

• A. Increase blood flow rate
• B. Take the patient7s temperature
• C. Administer acetaminophen
• D. Decrease dialysate temperature

Answer: (B)

Feeling chilled during dialysis can be a sign of fever or infection, or it may simply be a comfort issue from the environment. The best next step is to take the patient’s temperature to determine whether a fever is present and to guide what to do next. If the temperature is elevated, you’d escalate care by informing the nurse/physician and following prescribed actions; if normal, you can address comfort and still monitor for other causes. Other options don’t address the symptom appropriately: increasing the blood flow rate doesn’t relieve chills and could affect blood pressure; giving acetaminophen requires a physician order and could mask a fever; lowering the dialysate temperature would make the patient feel colder and worsen chills. Taking the temperature provides essential information to determine the correct course of action.

Feeling chilled during dialysis can be a sign of fever or infection, or it may simply be a comfort issue from the environment. The best next step is to take the patient’s temperature to determine whether a fever is present and to guide what to do next. If the temperature is elevated, you’d escalate care by informing the nurse/physician and following prescribed actions; if normal, you can address comfort and still monitor for other causes. Other options don’t address the symptom appropriately: increasing the blood flow rate doesn’t relieve chills and could affect blood pressure; giving acetaminophen requires a physician order and could mask a fever; lowering the dialysate temperature would make the patient feel colder and worsen chills. Taking the temperature provides essential information to determine the correct course of action.