Ringer's solution is a solution of several salts dissolved in water for the purpose of creating an isotonic solution relative to the body fluids of an animal. Ringer's solution typically contains

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as salt (although sea salt also contains other chemical salts), is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. With molar masses of 22.99 and 35.45 g ...

potassium chloride Potassium chloride (KCl, or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt ...

, calcium chloride and

sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3−) ...

, with the last used to balance the pH. Other additions can include chemical fuel sources for cells, including

ATP ATP may refer to: Companies and organizations * Association of Tennis Professionals, men's professional tennis governing body * American Technical Publishers, employee-owned publishing company * ', a Danish pension * Armenia Tree Project, non ...

and

dextrose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, using ...

, as well as antibiotics and antifungals.

Composition

Ringer's solution typically contains NaCl,

KCl Potassium chloride (KCl, or potassium salt) is a metal halide Salt (chemistry), salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous lustre, vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in wa ...

, CaCl₂ and NaHCO₃, sometimes with other minerals such as MgCl₂, dissolved in distilled water. The precise proportions of these vary from species to species, particularly between marine

osmoconformer Osmoconformers are marine organisms that maintain an internal environment which is isotonic to their external environment. This means that the osmotic pressure of the organism's cells is equal to the osmotic pressure of their surrounding environm ...

s and osmoregulators.

Uses

Ringer's 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 use in ''in vitro'' experiments on organs or tissues, such as ''in vitro'' muscle testing. The precise mix of ions can vary depending upon the taxon, with different recipes for birds, mammals, freshwater fish, marine fish, etc. Ringers solution may also be used for therapeutic purposes, such as arthroscopic lavage in the case of septic arthritis. It is used clinically as an

intravenous infusion Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutrie ...

for replacing extracellular fluid losses and restoring chemical balances when treating isotonic

dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water, with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds free water intake, usually due to exercise, disease, or high environmental temperature. Mil ...

History

Ringer's solution is named after

Sydney Ringer Sydney Ringer FRS (March 1835 – 14 October 1910) was a British clinician, physiologist and pharmacologist, best known for inventing Ringer's solution. He was born in 1835 in Norwich, England and died following a stroke in 1910 in Lastingham, Y ...

, who in 1882–1885 determined that a solution perfusing a frog's heart must contain sodium, potassium and calcium salts in a definite proportion if the heart is to be kept beating for long. This solution was adjusted further in the 1930s by

Alexis Hartmann Alexis Frank Hartmann Sr. (October 30, 1898 – September 6, 1964) was an American pediatrician and clinical biochemist. He is best known for adding sodium lactate to Ringer's solution, creating what is now known as Ringer's lactate solution ...

, who added

sodium lactate Sodium lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, and has a mild saline taste. It is produced by fermentation of a sugar source, such as corn or beets, and then, by neutralizing the resulting lactic acid to create a compound having the formula NaC ...

to form

Ringer's lactate solution Ringer's lactate solution (RL), also known as sodium lactate solution, Lactated Ringer’s, and Hartmann's solution, is a mixture of sodium chloride, sodium lactate, potassium chloride, and calcium chloride in water. It is used for replacing flu ...

.{{cite book, last1=Marino, first1=Paul L., last2=Sutin, first2=Kenneth M., title=The ICU Book, date=2012, publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, isbn=9781451161557, page=363, edition=3, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RAk9ai42yjMC&pg=PT363, language=en

References

Buffer solutions Intravenous fluids