Ringers solution, also known as lactated Ringers solution, is a type of isotonic, crystalloid fluid used for fluid replacement. It is composed of several salts dissolved in water, including sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and lactate in the form of sodium lactate. The precise proportions of these salts can vary depending on the species, with different recipes for birds, mammals, freshwater fish, marine fish, etc. . Ringers solution is used for intravenous or subcutaneous hydration and to expand the vascular compartment in hypovolemia. It is also used during surgery and in people with a wide variety of medical conditions. Ringers solution is named after Sydney Ringer, who in 1882–1885 determined that a solution perfusing a frogs heart must contain sodium, potassium, and calcium salts in a definite proportion if the heart is to be kept beating for long.
Key features of Ringers solution include:
- Isotonicity: Ringers solution is designed to create an isotonic solution relative to the body fluids of an animal.
- Composition: Ringers solution typically contains NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, and NaHCO3, sometimes with other minerals such as MgCl2, dissolved in distilled water.
- Uses: Ringers solution is frequently administered to human and veterinary patients for intravenous or subcutaneous hydration and to expand the vascular compartment in hypovolemia. It is also used in in vitro experiments on organs or tissues, such as in vitro muscle testing. Ringers solution may also be used for therapeutic purposes, such as arthroscopic lavage in the case of septic arthritis.
It is important to note that Ringers solution contains insufficient concentration of potassium and calcium to be used for maintenance of these ions or to correct their deficits. Hence, after dehydration is treated, the IV fluid has to be changed to a maintenance fluid that will provide these ions.
