Plus is happy to offer this simple reference guide to the four basic types. Need to practice for your upcoming exam? The rest is found in blood vessels and between the cells. When fluid is lost for any reason, electrolytes become imbalanced, body systems are stressed, and cognitive function in the brain is impaired. Blood becomes concentrated, signaling the kidneys to retain water.
As a result, urine output is decreased. All of these compensatory actions by the body put an already-compromised patient at risk. Replacement of fluids intravenously resolves the imbalance and restores normal body functions.
Which IV solution to administer is related to the reason for the fluid loss. Crystalloid solutions contain small particles that that pass easily from the bloodstream to cells and tissues. There are three types of crystalloids, given according to their tonicity , the ability to make water move into or out of a cell by osmosis. Tonicity is related to the concentration of all the solute particles in a solution, called the osmolarity.
A solution with few particles has a low osmolarity, while a solution with a high number of particles has a high osmolarity. Water moves through the semipermeable membranes of the body from low-to-high osmolarity, to create a balance of water and solutes.
Four solutions are the most commonly administered. Here is a brief description of each:. Less commonly, this solution is referred to as physiological saline or isotonic saline Normal saline is the chemical name for salt.
The generic name is sodium chloride. It is a sterile, nonpyrogenic crystalloid fluid administered via an intravenous solution. Normal saline infusion is used for extracellular fluid replacement e. Normal saline can aslo be used as a flush -- to clean out an intravenous IV catheter. In a recent study published In the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers tested the effectiveness of IV saline solution and balanced fluids at Vanderbilt University.
For over a year, they used saline solution on even-numbered months and balanced fluids on odd-numbered months. Compared to saline, these solutions have added electrolytes and less sodium. Patients who participated in this study were followed for 30 days.
The study found that the chosen solution was most important for critical patients, especially those admitted to the intensive care unit ICU. ICU patients were less likely to have injury to their kidneys, need dialysis, or die, as compared to patients who received saline treatments instead.
Statistically, the difference between the two groups was small but significant. There was an absolute difference of 1. In this trial, 1, patients out of the 7, that received balanced fluids had one of the aforementioned complications. Of those who received saline, 1, saw complications out of 7, This difference may seem trivial, but when it is extrapolated on a greater scale, it becomes much more significant.
For instance, 1. Cells, red blood cells, in particular, are responsible for transporting oxygen and minerals to body organs. Their damage results in the body organs, not getting enough oxygen and energy to function correctly. The contents of the cells spilled out into the blood plasma could also cause harm as they would disrupt the balance in blood concentration.
To avoid harm caused by plain distilled water on blood cells, water is mixed in a solution of sodium and chlorine, of roughly the same concentration as blood plasma. The effect is the solution dividing between the circulating volume and the fluid contained in cells, thereby becoming part of the circulating volume with no adverse impact on blood cells. Saline solution is specially formulated to match the electrolytes present in blood plasma, therefore, causing less of an osmotic effect compared to other intravenous fluids.
It contains sodium and chloride ions as electrolytes. Normal saline is a solution filled with electrolytes and hydrophilic molecules. It is mainly used because of its isotonic nature compared to serum plasma. Our blood cells are bathed in plasma. Plasma is primarily comprised of sodium and chlorine ions. Sodium ions are the main electrolytes in saline water and are essential in the distribution of water and other electrolytes.
Chloride ions help to facilitate binding between carbon dioxide and oxygen. It also plays a vital role in the effectiveness of using saline water in treatment. Its distribution depends on the concentration of electrolytes in various compartments. The primary function of saline water is to expand intravascular volume without disturbing ion concentration in the blood or causing significant fluid shifts between intravascular, intracellular, and interstitial spaces.
By restoring water levels in the body, saline water helps in the treatment of symptoms such as lightheadedness and other dehydration related symptoms. Its high electrolyte concentration also recharges the body in incase of electrolyte loss. This is common after consuming large amounts of alcohol and in patients who are unable to get electrolytes from external sources.
Intravenous saline water is used for other purposes, too, not just treatment. For example, it is used by athletes to accelerate the rehydration process. Some people also prefer the use of saline water to hasten recovery from a hangover because it contains the electrolytes and water lost in the process of alcohol elimination.
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