A nurse is preparing to administer IV fluids that will not alter serum osmolarity or pull fluid into or out of the intravascular space. Which fluid should the nurse administer?

Explanation

Isotonic solutions have equal osmolarity compared to serum. This does not create a concentration gradient and will pull fluids into or out of the vascular space.

Incorrect options:

•Hypotonic solution contains fewer solutes than the serum, making its osmolarity lower. This will lower the serum osmolarity and fluid will move out of the vascular space into the intracellular compartment where there is greater osmolarity to dilute it there (due to the concentration gradient).

•Hypertonic solution contains more solutes than the serum, making its osmolarity higher. This will raise the serum osmolarity and pull fluid into the vascular space from the extracellular compartment by diffusion (due to the concentration gradient).

•Supratonic solution does not exist.

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