Physiological Solution

an artificially prepared solution similar to blood plasma in salt composition and osmotic pressure. Physiological solutions are used in physiological experiments with isolated organs and in clinical practice, for example, in the treatment of dehydration and blood loss. The infusion of large quantities of a physiological solution, however, may cause edema of internal organs as a result of the penetration of water and salts into the tissues. In the case of physiological solutions used as blood substitutes, various compounds, for example, high-molecular-weight polysaccharides and specially treated proteins, are added to glucose saline solutions. A number of physiological solutions are named after the scientists who developed them (see Table 1).