A patient with chronic renal failure who is on dialysis receives an ESA. The nurse caring for this patient during dialysis notes that the patient's hemoglobin is 11.3 gm/dL, up from the 10.4 gm/dL recorded 2 weeks ago. The patient's blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. The nurse will contact the provider to suggest:

Question

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Patients with CRF on dialysis can benefit from heparin to prevent clotting in the artificial kidney. There is no indication for an antihypertensive drug, because the patient's blood pressure is normal. The patient's hemoglobin is less than 12 gm/dL and has risen less than 1 gm/dL in 2 weeks; therefore, neither reducing the ESA dose nor stopping the ESA is indicated.

A Patient with Chronic Renal Failure Who Is on Dialysis