Bowel Obstruction treatment

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What type of IV solution would be used to treat a bowel obstruction? Would D5W in 0.9 saline ever be given?

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Specializes in ER.

When is this homework due?

2
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Friday

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1 minute ago, canoehead said:

When is this homework due?

Friday

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Well, since it is homework, how about you share your thoughts and rationales. THEN we can start discussing it. We can't do homework for you.

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It is not for marks it is an optional quiz for our own knowledge but it closes on Friday. I would think that giving an isotonic solution would make the most sense because the patient is like vomiting and dehydrated. The only reason I would suspect giving a hypertonic fluid is if the lab values came back saying that the patient was severely hyponatremic, but right off the bat, the first thing that comes to mind is isotonic. Can you let me know if I'm on the right track? This is me honestly wanting to learn and better myself, there is no marks involved.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

The patient is "like vomiting and dehydrated"? The patient either is or isn't vomiting and dehydrated. Never pick D5W .9% saline as the multiple choice answer. Does anyone stock this since the 80's? But your reasoning so far for not giving it is correct.

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1 hour ago, subee said:

The patient is "like vomiting and dehydrated"? The patient either is or isn't vomiting and dehydrated. Never pick D5W .9% saline as the multiple choice answer. Does anyone stock this since the 80's? But your reasoning so far for not giving it is correct.

I was giving a hypothetical scenario with the vomiting and dehydration. The question I received was super vague. All the info it gave was the patient had a bowel obstruction and the fluid to be given was D5W in .9% saline. Would I be correct in thinking that the reason to give a patient D5 in .9% would be because the patient has become hyponatremic? If lab values were to hypothetically to come back as normal in the relation to that of sodium, the standard would an isotonic solution such as .9%? I have gone off on a tangent a bit with its relation to the actual quiz question, but I am just trying to critically think about why we would choose one solution over the other and whether my reasoning is on the right track. From my understanding, we'd want to check the lab values before giving the solution because we cannot determine whether or not the solution is correct going just based on the diagnosis?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to student nurse assistance forum

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Specializes in ER.

Correct, NS would be the first choice, but if the patient has diabetes type 1 they can't generate their own sugar while NPO. So we'd add the D5W and moniter their glucose. The dextrose would be absorbed in the tissues so long as you provide insulin as well, leaving them with the isotonic NS.

If the patient has a bowel obstruction our surgeons ask that we replace suctioned gastric contents with a different solution that contains potassium, but the ordered fluid depends on the surgeon.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Look up what happens to D5W once it's infused....it's no longer isotonic

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