If a patient is receiving acute dialysis, what adjustment will help lower hypertension?

The choice of using ultrafiltration is appropriate for managing hypertension in a patient receiving acute dialysis because it directly addresses fluid overload, which is often a key contributor to hypertension in these patients.

Ultrafiltration is a process used during dialysis to remove excess fluid from the patient's blood. By effectively reducing the volume of fluid in the circulatory system, ultrafiltration can help lower blood pressure. This method is particularly beneficial when excess fluid retention leads to increased blood pressure that cannot be managed solely through medication or other interventions.

Other options do not specifically target the fluid overload contributing to hypertension. For example, transfusing packed cells generally serves to address anemia rather than fluid volume or hypertension. Infusing normal saline could actually exacerbate fluid overload due to the additional volume it introduces, which is counterproductive in the context of hypertension. Administering a cardiotonic drug typically aims to enhance cardiac contractility rather than directly managing blood pressure in cases of fluid overload.