About Intravenous Fluids (IV Fluids):
- IV fluids are specially formulated liquids that are injected into a vein to prevent or treat dehydration.
- They are used in people of all ages who are sick, injured, dehydrated from exercise or heat, or undergoing surgery.
- Intravenous rehydration is a simple, safe, and common procedure with a low risk of complications.
- IV fluid often contains water, glucose (sugar), and electrolytes (potassium, sodium, and chloride).
- An IV may allow more than one fluid to be given at the same time and into the same place.
- What are the types of IV fluids?
- Crystalloid solutions:
- These are the most common types of IV fluid.
- They contain small, dissolved molecules that pass easily from the bloodstream into tissues and cells.
- As a result, crystalloid solutions are readily available to your cells once they travel in.
- Examples include normal saline, which is salt in water, and D5W, which is dextrose (sugar) in water.
- Another example is lactated Ringer’s, which contains sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and lactate. It’s used for aggressive fluid replacement.
- Colloids:
- These are large molecules that can’t easily pass through cell membranes and are more likely to stay in the blood vessels.
- In healthcare terms, this means that colloid solutions, unlike crystalloid solutions, remain intravascular.
- Examples include albumin and hetastarch.
