Relias Medical Surgical Telemetry RN A Practice Test

When a temporary hemodialysis catheter site is red and swollen, it signals a possible catheter-related infection or localized inflammatory response. The appropriate next step is to notify the provider and assess whether the catheter is still needed. This allows the clinician to evaluate the infection risk, decide if cultures or antibiotics are required, and determine whether the catheter should be retained or removed. As the nurse, you’d appraise the site for warmth, drainage, and changes in surrounding tissue, check the patient for systemic signs (fever, malaise), confirm the dressing integrity, and document findings per protocol. Starting antibiotics or removing the catheter without a provider order could be inappropriate or unsafe. Dressing changes alone won’t address a potential infection and should occur within the context of provider guidance.