A 74-year-old woman is on day 4 after an open right hemicolectomy. Sodium chloride 0.9% 1 L eight-hourly, char…

Question

A 74-year-old woman is on day 4 after an open right hemicolectomy. Sodium chloride 0.9% 1 L eight-hourly, charted in the emergency department before her operation, is still running through a peripheral cannula. She has eaten two meals today and drinks freely. Her weight has risen from 61.0 to 64.4 kg since admission and there is pitting oedema to mid-shin. Blood pressure is 128/76 mmHg, heart rate 78/min and urine output 1.4 L in 24 hours. Sodium is 133 mmol/L, potassium 4.4 mmol/L and creatinin…

Accepted Answer

Cease the intravenous fluid order

Answer

Add potassium chloride 20 mmol/L to each bag

Answer

Change to compound sodium lactate

Answer

Give furosemide 20 mg intravenously

Answer

Reduce the infusion to 1 L twelve-hourly

More from Acute Care