Iv Therapy

yes, i think you are making this too hard. :) :icon_hug:

osmolality tells you how concentrated a solution is.

a hypotonic solution is less concentrated than blood. (think of weak tea)

a hypertonic solution is more concentrated than blood. (think of syrup)

an isotonic solution is the same concentration as blood. (think of ocean water)

osmosis is the diffusion of water. diffusion is a passive (doesn't require energy input) process by which a solution tends to "even out" concentrations accross a "semi-permiable membrane." (think cell membrane).

this is important because if you add a hypotonic iv solution to blood (such as sterile water), the red blood cells tend to swell because the extra water from the solution will diffuse into the rbcs in an attempt to even out the concentration, since the hypotonic solution will make the blood less concentrated. (as an aside, those rbcs could swell to the point they rupture).

if you add a hypertonic iv solution to blood (such as 10% dextrose), the rbcs tend to shrivel up, because water will leave the rbcs in an attempt to even out the concentration, since the hypertonic solution will make the blood more concentrated.

how much these things happen will depend greatly on how hypertonic or hypotonic the solution is.

does this help?

hypo tonic has less solute it has more fluids

hyper tonic more fluid less soilute

isotonic has same of amount

hypertonic fluids pull fluids towards itself to dilute the its already high solute content

hypotonic fluid give its fluid so it can be use to dilute

so let say i put a hypertonic solution next to the body cells it would shrink the cell of fluids so it can dilute itself

whereas if i put a hypotonic fluid next to a body cell it would give away fluid to the cell so the cell would enlarge

hyper takes

hypo gives

Critterlover, Thanks for the simple, easy to understand refresher! To the OP, us old nurses still get confused. Take Heart!

Thanks you guys....I just had to step back and calm down. Daytonite....you know me too well :wink2:. I did feel like I wanted to know EVERYTHING yestereday. I am going to check out those incredibly easy books to help me. Why am I freakin out? I do have spring break of no classes to really sit down to figures this out. I am finding that I really love the science aspect of nursing and I am hard on myself when I "think" I will not be able to grasp something.

I just had to vent....I am demented....:trout:

yes, i think you are making this too hard. :) :icon_hug:

osmolality tells you how concentrated a solution is.

a hypotonic solution is less concentrated than blood. (think of weak tea)

a hypertonic solution is more concentrated than blood. (think of syrup)

an isotonic solution is the same concentration as blood. (think of ocean water)

osmosis is the diffusion of water. diffusion is a passive (doesn't require energy input) process by which a solution tends to "even out" concentrations accross a "semi-permiable membrane." (think cell membrane).

this is important because if you add a hypotonic iv solution to blood (such as sterile water), the red blood cells tend to swell because the extra water from the solution will diffuse into the rbcs in an attempt to even out the concentration, since the hypotonic solution will make the blood less concentrated. (as an aside, those rbcs could swell to the point they rupture).

if you add a hypertonic iv solution to blood (such as 10% dextrose), the rbcs tend to shrivel up, because water will leave the rbcs in an attempt to even out the concentration, since the hypertonic solution will make the blood more concentrated.

how much these things happen will depend greatly on how hypertonic or hypotonic the solution is.

does this help?

i dont know about the op, but you summarized it well for me;)

So,

What solutions ARE:

Hypo Iso Hpyer

Where do LR, NS, 1/2 NS, D5W fit in?

???

I know NS and LR are isotonic. The other two escape my brain at the moment.

Thank you for the links Daytonite....Great sites, they helped me so much..

LPN student in Oregon

Yes, this post helps so very much. Thank you.