If drinking salt water further dehydrates the body, why is saline used to treated dehydration?

Question

If drinking salt water further dehydrates the body, why is saline used to treated dehydration?

In: 63

Answer 1

Just to add on what other people have said, route of administration matters. Saline to treat dehydration is given intravenously not orally which is an important difference.

I read thing a few years back, people at sea on a liferaft survived by seawater enemas.