A patient urgently needs isotonic solution if I/v fluid- you have the choice of 0.9% NaCl and 5% dextrose in 0.45% NaCl- what fluid is better suited as an isotonic solution. What side effects would you expect if you has chosen the other fluid. Is the other fluid hypotonic or hypertonic?
For this question I don’t understand why 0.9% NaCl would be better suited and would this be right for the second part
The other solution 5% dextrose in 0.45% NaCl is hypertonic it would cause solutes to move from inside the cell to outside causing the patient to become dehydrated.
For the first question, red blood cells (RBCs) have an NaCl concentration of 0.9%, and they have a glucose concentration of 5%. Even though the dextrose concentration in the second I/V fluid option equals the RBC’s concentration, the second I/V fluid option has a much lower amount, this would cause too much water to flow into the RBCs, resulting in hemolysis (the RBCs burst). The first I/V fluid, though, has the same NaCl concentration, so it would be isotonic.
In regards to your answer for the other question, it's what I mentioned about hemolysis. The lower concentration of NaCl in the second fluid makes it hypotonic with regards to the NaCl.