A nurse is planning care for a client who has intracellular dehydration. Which intravenous solution should the nurse plan to administer?

A. Albumin 25% is a highly concentrated colloid that acts as a hypertonic volume expander by pulling fluid from the interstitial space into the intravascular compartment. This would further exacerbate intracellular dehydration by drawing even more water out of the cells to balance the increased osmotic pressure in the blood. It is indicated for severe protein depletion, not for cellular rehydration. B. Dextrose 10% in water is a hypertonic glucose solution that initially increases serum osmolality. While the dextrose is eventually metabolized, the high initial osmotic gradient can cause transient cellular shrinking before the free water becomes available. In the context of acute intracellular dehydration, it is not the preferred initial treatment compared to solutions that directly provide free water to the cells. C. Sodium chloride 0.45% is a hypotonic crystalloid solution that has a lower osmolality than the extracellular fluid. When administered, it causes a shift of fluid from the intravascular space into the intracellular compartment via osmosis to achieve equilibrium. This makes it the ideal pharmacological choice for rehydrating cells that have shrunk due to hypertonic states or profound fluid loss. D. chloride 3% is a severely hypertonic solution used only in critical cases of hyponatremia or cerebral edema. Administering this solution would dramatically increase extracellular osmolality, causing rapid water exit from the cells and worsening the intracellular dehydration. It is contraindicated in this scenario as it would lead to profound cellular desiccation and potential neurological injury.