Intravenous Fluids (IV) should be isotonic to blood to uphold the right osmotic pressure and avoid cells from shrinking or expanding as a result of either loss or gain of water. Blood cells are selectively permeable, which permits or denies movement of some solutes. The degree of permeability affects the volume and integrity of blood cells, which can have a clinical effect, especially during intravenous infusions. The level at which solutes cross the cell membranes explains tonicity of fluids that are extracellular (Lauren and MacMillan 298). Hence, the shape and size of the cell are influenced by osmotic water movement.
Hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic are terminologies used to refer to osmolarity due to their effect on the volume of blood cells. Osmosis involves water movement along an osmotic gradient and across a selectively permeable membrane. Tonicity, on the other hand, is the effect of a solution on cell volume due to membrane permeability to a solute (Lauren and MacMillan 298,299). Thus, it implies that tonicity is determined by osmolarity and whether the solute can move across the cell membrane.
Intracellular fluid is a solution of protein, glucose, salts, and hemoglobin. A solution of approximately 0.9% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is termed as isotonic, meaning that the extracellular and intracellular fluids are in equilibrium. Whenever cells are subjected to hypertonic fluid, they tend to have a higher NaCl; hence, the blood cells lose the biconcave shape and collapse (crenation) due to quick water efflux. On the other hand, when blood cells are subjected to the hypotonic surrounding, whose NaCl is less than 0.9%, such as distilled water, there is an influx of water, which causes swelling of cells and disruption of membrane integrity, and hence, hemoglobin escapes (hemolysis) (Vollrath and Guevara). Later, hemoglobin dissolves in other external media.
Hypotonic solutions cause swelling of cells, which eventually rupture if the osmotic water movement continues (hemolysis) (Lauren and MacMillan 299). In hypotonic, the fluid that surrounds the blood cells becomes less concentrated in comparison to inside of the cells. These condition forces water to enter into the cells because of the gradient of osmotic pressure. As a result, the blood cells become bloated. Consequently, continuous movement of the water in the cell stretches the cell membrane until the cell bursts and eventually dies (“Anatomy and Physiology”). However, the blood cell percentage that hemolyze in the presence of hypotonic fluids relies on the fluid’s hypotonicity degree. Therefore, a minimal percentage of blood cells hemolyze in the presence of hypotonic solutions, especially when NaCl is more than 0.6%. For significant hemolysis to take place, the red blood cells need to be in stronger hypotonic solutions of less than 0.6%, where the percentage rises even higher when the solution lies within 0.6% and 0.4% NaCl. When the red blood cells hemolyze, their absorptive characteristics change remarkably (Galik). Notably, this is one of the features that can be used to measure hemolysis by use of a spectrophotometer
As it is evident from the research, when a dehydrated patient is administered with a hypotonic solution, such as plain water, it is expected that his blood cells will start to swell (hemolyze) significantly and eventually rupture since the percentage of NaCl in water is less. In essence, the outcome can lead to critical conditions, such as chronic anemia or even death.
Works Cited
“Anatomy and Physiology.” OpenStax , 2018, www//cnx.org/contents/14fb4ad7-39a1-4eee-ab6e-3ef2482e3e22@8.119. Accessed 10 June 2019.
Galik, Stephen. “Osmosis across biological membranes” Cell Biology olm 4.0. www//stevegallik.org/cellbiologyolm_Ex04_P02.html. Accessed 10 June 2019.
MacMillan, Frances, and Goodhead, Lauren. “Measuring Osmosis and Hemolysis in Red Blood Cells.” Advances Physiology Education, vol 41, no 2, 2017, pp. 298-305.
Vollrath, Mellisa, and Guevara, Michael. “McGill physiology virtual laboratory.” 2019, www.medicine.mcgill.ca/physio/vlab/bloodliab/eryfrag1_n.htm. Accessed 10 June 2019.
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