Requirements for Fluid Therapy
Fluid Type – Name and Number
What is it?
Normal Saline (No 1)
Relatively high Sodium, high chloride replacement solution – suited to conditions where depletion of electrolytes is suspected
Prolonged use should be avoided
Saline plus 5% glucose (No 3)
Very similar to normal saline except the additional glucose will aid animals with mild carbohydrate depletion
Ringers (No 9)
Balanced replacement with the highest chloride solutions
Hartman's (No 11)
Only contains sources of sodium, chloride, potassium, and calcium but also bicarbonate in the form of lactade
Using the information you have already covered in unit 306 and in the hand book suggest the fluid/s required for the following common diseases and conditions:
Name of condition/disease
Fluid/s choice
Reasons for your choice
Vomiting
Consideration should be given to whether the vomitus is of gastric origin or refluxed from the small intestine. Vomiting of gastric fluid results in an excessive loss of chloride ions and can potentially cause a metabolic alkalosis. Aqupharm 1 is recommended to replace these losses if the illness is of recent origin. If the patient has been vomiting for over
24 hours Aqupharm 9 may be
more appropriate since it also contains potassium.
In severe gastrointestinal disease or small intestinal obstructions the majority of the vomited fluid may be of small intestinal origin in which case a metabolic acidosis may be more likely. In these circumstances, Aqupharm 11 would be more appropriate.
Aqupharm 1 – normal saline
Aquapharm 9- (ringers) if the patient has been vomiting for mire than 25 hours
Aqupharm 1 : contains high sodium and chloride and is suitable for gastric fluid loss, metabolic alkalosis and hyperekaloemia
Aquapharm 9- also contains potassium
