Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) Practice Exam

Withholding dialysis treatment is a critical decision that involves patient safety and well-being. The situation where a technician should withhold treatment is when there is evidence of an active infection at the access site. An active infection poses a significant risk for both the patient and the treatment process. Dialysis requires access to the bloodstream, and an infection at the access site could result in systemic complications, including sepsis. Continuing treatment under those conditions could exacerbate the infection and lead to serious health complications.

In other situations, such as a patient's request to skip a session or if they are feeling tired, these may be concerns that should be addressed but do not inherently require withholding treatment. It's important to engage the patient and understand their condition if they express fatigue or a desire to skip a session, but these reasons alone do not warrant preventing treatment.

Similarly, a loose connection indicates a mechanical issue that needs to be fixed, but it does not inherently justify withholding treatment. Instead, appropriate measures should be taken to secure the connection to ensure that dialysis can safely proceed. Thus, the presence of an active infection is the most critical factor that necessitates withholding dialysis treatment to protect the patient’s health.