Question

A patient arrives in the emergency department after becoming dehydrated. Based on the patient's history, the provider determines that isotonic dehydration has occurred. Which solution will the nurse expect to infuse to treat this patient?

a. 0.45% sodium chloride in sterile water

b. 0.9% sodium chloride in sterile water

c. 3% sodium chloride in sterile water

d. 5% dextrose solution

Answer 1

To treat isotonic dehydration, the nurse would infuse a 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) solution, which is isotonic with body fluids and restores normal fluid volume.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a patient arrives in the emergency department with isotonic dehydration, the nurse would expect to infuse an isotonic solution to treat the patient. The appropriate solution for this condition would be 0.9% sodium chloride in sterile water. This concentration is isotonic with respect to body fluids, which helps to restore the normal fluid volume without causing shifts in fluid balance that could potentially harm the patient. It is important to match the osmolarity of the IV fluids with that of the body fluids to prevent damage to red blood cells and other cellular structures. Therefore, using a 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) solution is the standard treatment for isotonic dehydration.