Managing High Phosphorus in Chronic Renal Failure

Renal & Electrolytes · Question from the ATI RN Medical-Surgical 2023 Proctored Exam study set

Correct answer: A. Calcium Acetate

Why this is the answer

Calcium Acetate (PhosLo) is a phosphate binder — it binds dietary phosphorus in the gut so it's excreted in stool instead of absorbed into the blood. Furosemide (B) is a diuretic and doesn't bind or lower phosphorus. Potassium Chloride (C) would be actively dangerous here, since chronic renal failure patients are already prone to hyperkalemia, and this drug doesn't touch phosphorus levels at all. Regular Insulin (D) is used to temporarily shift potassium into cells during a hyperkalemic emergency — it has no role in managing phosphorus.

The bigger concept

Chronic kidney disease disrupts several electrolytes at once — phosphorus rises because failing kidneys can't excrete it, which in turn drives calcium down and stimulates the parathyroid gland. Phosphate binders taken with meals are a mainstay of managing this cascade.

Related Renal & Electrolytes practice questions

• What Chvostek's Sign Reveals About Calcium
• High Magnesium in Renal Failure: What to Monitor
• Positive Trousseau's Sign: What It Means
• Why Anemia Is Common in Chronic Renal Failure
• Defining the Oliguric Phase of Acute Renal Failure

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