Intravenous Rehydration
Definition
Intravenous (IV) rehydration is a treatment for fluid loss in which a sterile water solution containing small amounts of salt or sugar is injected into the patient's bloodstream.
Purpose
Rehydration is usually performed to treat the symptoms associated with dehydration, or excessive loss of body water. Fever, vomiting, and diarrhea can cause a person to become dehydrated fairly quickly. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to dehydration. Patients can become dehydrated due to an illness, surgery, metabolic disorder, hot weather, or accident. Athletes who have overexerted themselves may also require rehydration with IV fluids. An IV for rehydration can be used for several hours to several days, and is generally used if a patient is unable to keep down oral fluids due...
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