Intravenous fluid therapy

Intravenous fluid therapy delivers water and dissolved substances directly into a vein. It is used to restore or maintain fluid and electrolyte balance when oral intake is inadequate or unsuitable.

Crystalloid: A solution of water and small dissolved molecules that can pass through capillary walls. Crystalloids are the most common fluids for routine intravenous replacement and maintenance.
Fluid resuscitation: Rapid fluid administration intended to improve circulation and tissue perfusion in acute volume depletion. This is the urgent use of intravenous fluids when inadequate circulating volume threatens organ perfusion.
Extracellular fluid: Body fluid located outside cells, including plasma and interstitial fluid. Most infused isotonic fluid initially distributes within this compartment.
Blood transfusion: The transfer of donated blood or blood components into a recipient's circulation. Fluids can support circulation but do not replace red cells or specific blood components lost through bleeding.
Colloid: A solution containing large molecules that tend to remain within blood vessels longer than small solutes. Colloids are an alternative to crystalloids for selected intravascular volume-expansion situations.
Maintenance fluid therapy: Fluid provision intended to meet a patient's routine daily water and electrolyte needs. It supplies ongoing needs when a patient cannot take enough fluid by mouth or feeding tube.
Intracellular fluid: The water and dissolved substances contained within the body's cells. Tonicity and electrolyte composition influence whether infused water moves into cells.
Parenteral nutrition: Delivery of nutrients into the bloodstream when nutrition cannot be supplied adequately through the digestive tract. It uses intravenous access for nutritional support rather than primarily correcting water and electrolyte needs.
Osmosis: The net movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane toward a higher concentration of dissolved particles. Osmotic gradients help determine how infused water shifts among body compartments.
Dehydration: A deficit of body water that may result from inadequate intake or excessive losses. Intravenous fluids can replace water deficits when oral rehydration is not feasible or sufficient.

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