Dialysate is composed of these three components.

• A. Purified water; Acid solution; Bicarbonate solution
• B. Purified water; Saline solution; Bicarbonate solution
• C. Purified water; Acid solution; Potassium solution
• D. Purified water; Acid solution; Glucose solution

Answer: (A)

Dialysate is prepared to provide a stable, buffered electrolyte solution for the patient, and this is achieved by mixing purified water with two concentrates: an acid solution and a bicarbonate solution. The purified water acts as the clean solvent. The acid concentrate lowers the pH during the mixing and helps set up the final dialysate chemistry, while the bicarbonate concentrate provides bicarbonate to the dialysate, which diffuses into the patient’s blood to help correct metabolic acidosis and maintain buffering capacity. Using other components like saline, potassium solutions, or glucose would disrupt electrolyte balance or osmolarity and is not how routine hemodialysis dialysate is formulated.