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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Why Water Is Not Administered Intravenously To Patients?

explain why water is not administered intravenouslt to patients?
Fri, 18 Dec 2009
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Like someone else said, what they put in you is saline, a salt solution, not water. They don't directly use water due to osmosis (the diffusion of water over a concentration gradient). Water would diffuse into cells, causing the cells to lysis, or basically explode. The salt helps maintain a concentration gradient. That and the salts also help maintain electrolytes.
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Why Water Is Not Administered Intravenously To Patients?

Like someone else said, what they put in you is saline, a salt solution, not water. They don t directly use water due to osmosis (the diffusion of water over a concentration gradient). Water would diffuse into cells, causing the cells to lysis, or basically explode. The salt helps maintain a concentration gradient. That and the salts also help maintain electrolytes.