Why is It Dangerous to Administer an Intravenous Line of Pure

Question

Why is it dangerous to administer an intravenous line of pure water to a patient?
A)The pure water will draw more water out of the red blood cells causing them to shrink.
B)The pure water will move into the red blood cells causing them to lyse.
C)The pure water will draw out proteins from the red blood cells, causing them to shrink.
D)The pure water will move out of the red blood cells causing them to lyse.

Accepted Answer

Pure water is hypotonic compared to the contents of red blood cells, causing water to move into the cells, leading to swelling and potential lysis (bursting).