A 4-month-old is brought to the emergency department with severe dehydration. The heart rate is 198, and her blood pressure is 68/38. The infant ’ s anterior fontanel is sunken. The nurse notes that the infant does not cry when the intravenous line is inserted. The child ’ s parents state that she has not “held anything down” in 18 hours. The nurse obtains a fi nger-stick blood sugar of 94. Which would the nurse expect to do immediately?
Explanation Dehydration is corrected with the administration of an isotonic solution, such as normal saline or lactated Ringer solution.