Why is monitoring for weight gain and edema important in PD patients?

• A. Indicates fluid overload due to inadequate ultrafiltration or excessive intake; prompts reassessment of dialysis prescription and dietary fluid guidance.
• B. Indicates improved nutrition and should lead to increasing dialysate volumes.
• C. Is unrelated to PD adequacy and should be ignored.
• D. Suggests a need to reduce dialysis frequency to save supplies.

Answer: (A)

Fluid status is the key idea here. In PD, how much fluid is removed each day depends on the dialysis setup and the patient’s fluid intake. When a patient gains weight between exchanges or develops edema, it usually means more fluid has entered the body than has been removed. That signals the need to reassess the PD prescription and the patient’s fluid restrictions—things like the fill volume per exchange, the number and duration of exchanges, or the use of different dialysate solutions, as well as reinforcing dietary fluid guidance to reduce intake. Addressing this promptly helps protect heart and blood pressure and keeps PD treatment effective.

The other ideas don’t fit because weight gain and edema aren’t a sign of better nutrition; they indicate excess fluid. They’re not something to ignore, and simply reducing dialysis frequency would worsen, not improve, fluid overload.