Question

Paramedics arrive on the scene of a car accident. They assess the scene and call the emergency room with the victim’s condition. The ER doctor recommends starting an IV, not to treat the patient at this time, but to establish an intravenous line should drugs need to be quickly administered later on the way to the hospital. Should the IV fluids be hypotonic, isotonic, or hypertonic to blood plasma? Explain.

Answer 1

Isotonic fluids.

Step-by-step explanation:

The IV fluids should be isotonic to blood plasma. Isotonic fluids have the same osmotic pressure as blood plasma, which means they will neither cause the cells to swell nor dehydrate. This is important because it allows the IV fluids to be administered quickly without causing any harm to the patient. Hypertonic fluids, which have a higher osmotic pressure, would cause the cells to dehydrate, while hypotonic fluids, which have a lower osmotic pressure, would cause the cells to swell. Therefore, isotonic fluids are the best choice for this situation.