Most commonly used varieties of Intravenous Fluids

1. Blood

2. Plasma

3. Synthetic Plasma Substitutes (Plasma Volume Expanders) e.g., Dextran.

These are synthetically produced polymers of glucose with a high molecular weight. These are colloid in nature and can not pass through the capillary wall of the blood vessels. The net result is rise in the osmotic tension as well as the volume of the circulating blood.

4. 5% Glucose (Dextrose) Solution—It is isotonic in nature. (It provides nutrition in the form of Calories).

5. Normal Saline (i.e., 0.9% Sodium Chloride) Solution or 5% Glucose in Normal Saline. These are istonic solutions.

6. 1/2 Strength Normal Saline (i.e., 0.45% Sodium Chloride) Solution or 5% Glucose in 1/5 Strength Normal Saline. These are hypotonic solutions.

7. 1/5 Strength Normal Saline (i.e., 0.18% Sodium Chloride)

Solution or 5% Glucose in jr Strength Normal Saline—These are hypotonic solutions.

8. 1/8 Molar Sodium Lactate Solution—It is an isotonic solution. It is meant for the correction of systemic acidosis as it becomes converted into Sodium bicarbonate in the system.

(It is generally administered after mixing with some other appropriate intra-venous fluid).

9. 2% Sodium Bicarbonate Solution—It is an isotonic solution which is sometimes used for the correction of systemic acidosis after mixing with an appropriate intravenous fluid solution.

10. Ringer’s Lactate Solution—It is an isotonic solution containing cations like Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and the anions like Chloride and Lactate in definite proportions and strengths of the constituents.