Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) Practice Exam

In the context of dialysis, the solvent is typically considered to be the dialysate. The dialysate is a specially formulated fluid that contains essential electrolytes and is designed to help remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood of patients undergoing dialysis. It facilitates the diffusion of solutes across the semipermeable membrane of the dialysis machine, allowing waste products, toxins, and excess electrolytes to pass from the blood into the dialysate, while preventing the loss of essential substances that the body needs. Treated water, while it is used as the basis for creating dialysate, is not classified strictly as a solvent in the same way that dialysate is. Blood is the substance being treated and contains various solutes, not a solvent itself. Sodium chloride is a solute that may be present in the dialysate, but it cannot be classified as a solvent within the dialysis process. Thus, recognizing dialysate as the solvent helps to clarify the overall function and mechanics of dialysis treatment.