BONENT Specialty Training Assessment & Review (STAR) Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Hyperkalemia is a common electrolyte imbalance observed in dialysis patients, primarily due to the kidneys’ reduced ability to excrete potassium. In individuals with chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease, the kidneys often cannot maintain normal potassium levels, leading to an accumulation of potassium in the blood. This is particularly critical because elevated potassium levels can lead to dangerous cardiac arrhythmias and other serious health issues.

Dialysis is a treatment designed to artificially remove waste products and excess electrolytes, including potassium, from the bloodstream when the kidneys can no longer perform this function effectively. In many cases, patients may present with hyperkalemia before initiating dialysis, and the treatment is aimed at correcting this imbalance.

Understanding this imbalance is crucial for healthcare professionals managing dialysis patients, as monitoring and addressing potassium levels is vital for patient safety and treatment efficacy. The other imbalances listed can occur in dialysis patients but are not as commonly seen or as immediately critical as hyperkalemia.