ELI5- Why is an iv drip so much better than drinking water?
In: Biology
Drinking water is actually much more preferred than receiving IV fluids for most people. There might be several reasons why a doctor would order IV fluids for a patient.
1) The patient is unable to safely drink fluids. Some people, particularly some elderly people, cannot eat/drink without aspirating. The only way for them to stay hydrated is with a feeding tube or IV fluids.
2) The patient is not allowed to eat/drink anything. They might have a medical condition that will be made worse with oral consumption, or they might be having surgery soon, which generally requires the patient to be NPO (nothing by mouth) for at least one night.
3) The patient’s medical condition requires strict monitoring of oral intake and output (pee). With an IV you can control and monitor exactly how much fluid is being infused.
4) The patient is severely dehydrated, so bad that they could not realistically drink enough water to rehydrate themselves.
5) The patient is receiving an IV drug that can only be infused with IV fluids running in tandem.
Part of the hospitalization process is ensuring the patient is able to care for themselves without nursing staff watching them 24/7. So doctors will usually try to wean the patient off IV fluids to ensure they can keep themselves hydrated appropriately.
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