Nurses must have an excellent grasp of osmosis because they will often be in charge of treating patients with IVs, intravenous solutions

Nurses must have an excellent grasp of osmosis because they will often be in charge of treating patients with IVs, intravenous solutions. Patients can be treated for dehydration or water retention issues using the proper IV. The IV can also deliver medicines and nutrients quickly to their bodies. The IV will be classified as to its relative strength compared to normal, healthy cell concentrations of ions and molecules. ""Normal saline"" is an IV with the same concentration, or tonicity, as a normal, healthy cell. Here are the three terms to classify solutions by their osmotic effects on cells,

Hypertonic     Meaning ""High Strength."" Solutions is high relative to a normal, healthy cell.

Isotonic            Meaning ""Same Strength."" Solutions is high relative to a normal, healthy cell.

Hypotonic     Meaning ""Low Strength."" Solutions is low relative to a normal, healthy cell.

Apply what you know of osmosis to these questions,

If a patient is treated with a hypertonic IV, which way will water move, and what effect will it have?"

When a patient is treated with a hypertonic IV solution, the effects on water movement and cell behavior are as follows:Here are the change that occur when a patient receives a hypertonic IV solution on water movement and cell behavior:

 Hypertonic Solution

 1. Definition:

 Hypertonic Solution: This solution has a higher concentration of solute than there is within the cell and much more than in outside the cell solution.

 2. Osmosis and Water Movement:

 Direction of Water Movement: It will also cause osmosis, water from the cells will be shifted to the hypertonic solution.

 Reason: Osmosis is the movement of skills water from a region of that contain low quantity of solute to region that contain high quantity of solutes in order to balance the concentration of solutes within the two regions with space; in the osmosis the movement of the skills water across the cell membrane.

 3. Effect on Cells:

 Cell Shrinkage: In case water is coming out of the cells, the cellular size will reduce and as a result smaller than usual. This process is called crenation in the red blood cells.

 Clinical Outcome: Hypertonic solutions are used in certain diseases such as for instance severe states of the lack of fluids, or when the volume of blood has to be increased. But it is very important to be careful to the cells not become too much dehydrated, and therefore, have other related complications.

 Example

 When hypertonic IV solution for instance 3 % saline solution is administered to the patient, by virtue of the high concentration of the sodium chloride outside the cell water moves from the cell in to the extracellular fluid. The over all consequence is a diminution in the size of the cell and an increment in the size of the intercellular fluid.

 Clinical Considerations:

 Monitor for Side Effects: It interest nurses to note signs of OW depletion, electrolyte imbalance and the likely effect on organelle function occasioned by the movement of the water from the cells.

 Adjustments: More assessment and changes in the fluids given through the IV line may be needed based on the patient’s result and condition.

 This knowledge helps to guard appropriate IV fluid appropriate use with further support of the complete patient.