Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

The most commonly used volume resuscitation fluid in pediatric patients is normal saline or lactated Ringer's solution due to their isotonic properties, which closely match the body's plasma composition. These fluids are effective for replenishing extracellular fluid volume, making them suitable for a variety of clinical scenarios such as dehydration, shock, and hemorrhage.

Normal saline, which consists of 0.9% sodium chloride, helps maintain osmotic balance while providing necessary electrolytes, specifically sodium and chloride. Lactated Ringer's solution, on the other hand, contains lactate, which acts as a buffer that can help in acid-base balance. Both solutions are well-tolerated by pediatric patients and facilitate the safe and effective restoration of depleted intravascular volume.

While other fluid options like colloid solutions and hypertonic saline may have their specific uses, they are not the standard for initial volume resuscitation in children. Colloid solutions might be reserved for particular situations, such as when there is a need to increase oncotic pressure, and hypertonic saline is usually considered in more specialized settings, particularly for certain cases of severe hyponatremia or head injuries, rather than as the first-line treatment for general volume resuscitation. D