Hypovolemia is the term used when discussing a patient who is losing a significant amount of bodily fluid. For the report I will only discuss the effects on a patient who is experiencing Hypovolemia due to a hemorrhage. Some of the symptoms are, an increased heart rate, and a low urine flow rate. These symptoms are of particular note due to the fact that they can all be monitored and manipulated to help the patient survive. It is important to monitor the urine flow rate so that kidney function can be maintained. If the urine output is less than .25ml/min then the kidneys have been damaged beyond repair and once the patient is revived they will need dialysis for the rest of their life. The goal therefore, is to maintain the urine output above .25ml/min to prevent kidney failure. The …show more content…
Therefore the hematocrit must remain above 10% for sufficient oxygen to reach the body’s cells. The key to treating a patient suffering from Hypovolemia is to maintain a balance between the urine output and the hematocrit percentage.
Hypothesis or research question:
I believe that a saline solution alternating on and off will maintain the urine flow rate and the hematocrit percentage longer than a patient administered with a constant saline drip of the same rate (mL/min) and concentration
(mMol/L). This process would temporarily halt the dilution of hematocrit. The urine flow rate would begin to fall due to a lack of solution diffusing into the blood stream; however it should be able to fall for a short time before hitting critical levels. Experimental design and methods:
I will perform three tests. The first is my control during which no treatment will be administered. During the second the patient will receive a constant saline drip of 750 mMol/L concentration at a rate of 10 mL/min. during the final test the patient will be administered the same concentration (750mMol/L) at the same rate (10mL/min), however they