Question

1. a 52-year-old male patient has been admitted to the hospital where you currently work as a registered nurse. the patient was admitted for severe dehydration due to constant vomiting and diarrhea. this means that the patient’s cells have been depleted of the water that they need to function. the patient is in need of iv fluids. iv fluids need to be isotonic to prevent excessive cell swelling. which concentration of saline solution will you need to administer intravenously and why? 10% nacl, because it is hypertonic and will draw excess fluid into the bloodstream 0% nacl, because it is hypotonic and will quickly move water into the cells to rehydrate them 0% nacl, because it contains no solutes and prevents osmotic movement across cell membranes 0.9% nacl, because it is isotonic to human cells and will restore fluid volume without causing cells to swell or shrink

Explanation:

The question specifies that IV fluids must be isotonic to avoid excessive cell swelling. Isotonic solutions have the same solute concentration as human cells, so they do not cause net movement of water into or out of cells, allowing fluid volume restoration without cell damage. 10% NaCl is hypertonic, which would draw water out of cells and shrink them, while 0% NaCl (pure water) is hypotonic, which would cause cells to swell and potentially burst. Only 0.9% NaCl is isotonic to human cells, matching the requirement.

Answer:

0.9% NaCl, because it is isotonic to human cells and will restore fluid volume without causing cells to swell or shrink