Certified Nephrology Nurse Certification (CNN) Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success!

Congestive heart failure during hemodialysis is most frequently associated with volume excess. Patients with chronic kidney disease often retain sodium and water due to impaired kidney function, leading to fluid overload. During hemodialysis, the removal of excess fluid must be carefully balanced; if too much fluid is removed rapidly, it can lead to complications, including hypotension and heart strain. However, if the patient's fluid status is not adequately controlled prior to or during dialysis, excess volume can cause increased cardiac workload and ultimately lead to congestive heart failure.

In the context of the other options, while anemia, malnutrition, and hypotension can contribute to overall cardiac health and influence a patient's response to hemodialysis, they are not as directly related to the acute development of congestive heart failure during a dialysis session as volume excess is. Anemia can lead to decreased oxygen delivery to tissues, malnutrition can weaken overall health, and hypotension can cause transient cardiac issues, but the primary concern during hemodialysis that precipitates heart failure is managing fluid volume effectively.