Make complex topics easier to conceptualize

Intravenous Fluids

Administration of intravenous fluid is an extremely common and important part of medical treatment. An understanding of how a fluid's composition affects its eventual distribution in the body is necessary for making proper therapeutic decisions.

A simulation of intravenous fluid administration (see figure) allows the learner to experiment with multiple cases. In addition, the 'Show/hide components' button (see figure) enables the learner to see a bag of fluid divided conceptually into components that distribute predictably. The ability to account for volume and composition of urine output as well adds a level of complexity that is important for understanding real patient scenarios. Click on the buttons at upper right of the diagram to choose an input fluid, then make a prediction and click the 'Run Fluid' button to administer the fluid and see the changes in intra- and extra-cellular fluid volumes (ICF, ECF) and serum sodium (Na) concentration.