Question

A hospital ran out of physiological saline (0.9% salt) solution to use in patient IV bags, so instead they used pure distilled water. What is the predicted consequence on the patients' blood cells?

Answer 1

The predicted consequence is that drinking only this kind of water could definitely cause death, because it is HYPOTONIC(less solute) and cell is HYPERTONIC(more solute) so their fore the water goes toward solute because of osmosis and it would make the cells expand and finally explode and eventually it will cause death.

Answer 2

The blood cells will lyse (burst) because the water is hypotonic to the cells.