What is Sodium Lactate Ringer? Last late autumn, I accompanied my mother to the community clinic for intravenous therapy. That day, she had been vomiting and diarrhea all day due to acute gastroenteritis, and her whole body was wilted like vegetables that had been frostbitten. When the nurse came to get the needle inserted, I caught a glimpse of the words "Sodium Lactate Ringer Injection" printed on the infusion bag, which made me wonder - what's the difference between this and the physiological saline I usually hear about? Why is the name so complicated?
When my mother was receiving the infusion, I leaned over to the nurse's desk and asked, "Big sister, what is the sodium lactate Ringer that my mother is receiving? Is it different from the saline solution she used to receive for fever?" The nurse sorted out the treatment tray and laughed, "Isn't it true that this medicine has more comprehensive effects? Your mother is pulling hard, and the electrolyte is lost. Just supplementing the saline solution is not enough, so we need to use sodium lactate Ringer to adjust it." I squatted beside my mother's bed, watching the liquid drop by drop in the drip tube, feeling like a cat scratching my heart. I took out my phone and checked the information, and then slowly figured out some tricks.
When it comes to what sodium lactate Ringer is, it is actually a compound electrolyte solution. I flipped through the medical science popularization on my phone, and the more I looked at it, the more it felt like a "nutrition package" for the body - it had four main ingredients: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium lactate. The first three are easy to understand, sodium, potassium, and calcium are all important electrolytes in our body, like "small switches" that maintain normal cell function. For example, sodium controls the distribution of water in the body, potassium controls heart rate and muscle contractions, and calcium helps with blood clotting and nerve signaling. But what does sodium lactate do? I was thinking about it when my mother whispered, 'My daughter, your hands are a bit cold.' I quickly covered the heating patch on the infusion tube again, and suddenly remembered what the nurse said about 'adjustment', which may be related to sodium lactate?

Later, when I asked my medical classmates, I realized that sodium lactate acts like an "acid-base balance regulator". The blood in our body has a normal pH value, which should be maintained between 7.35 and 7.45. It is not acceptable to keep it too high or too low. When a mother vomits and diarrhea, not only does she lose water, but she also loses a lot of alkaline substances, which makes her blood easily acidic (medically called metabolic acidosis). When sodium lactate enters the body, it will slowly become sodium bicarbonate in the liver - that is, the baking soda we use to steam Mantou, which can neutralize the excess acid and return the blood pH to the normal range. You see, when these four ingredients are combined, they not only hydrate and replenish electrolytes, but also regulate acid-base balance, which is much more comprehensive than just physiological saline.
I remember very clearly that after my mother finished the first bag of Sodium Lactate Ringer, her lips were noticeably less white and she could drink half a cup of warm water. After losing the second bag, she touched her stomach and said, "It seems to have some strength now, it's not so weak." When the nurse came to remove the needle, she said, "This medicine works quickly, but it can't be used casually. If someone has poor kidney function or their blood is alkaline, taking this medicine will actually cause trouble." This reminds me of a few days ago when my neighbor's aunt said that her spouse had also received lactate sodium Ringer in the hospital, and she was puzzled at the time, "Why do everyone use this?" Now I understand that this medicine is mainly used in situations where a large amount of bodily fluids are lost, such as severe diarrhea, burns, before and after major surgery, or when dehydration is accompanied by acid-base imbalance.
But at the beginning, I also got confused and always mixed up sodium lactate Ringer and compound sodium chloride solution. Once when I went to the pharmacy to help my mother buy rehydration salts, I specifically asked the clerk, "What is the difference between this and sodium lactate Ringer?" The clerk replied, "Compound sodium chloride is physiological saline with a little potassium and calcium added, but without sodium lactate, the function of regulating acidity and alkalinity is weaker." Later, I checked my medical books at home and confirmed that sodium lactate Ringer is more suitable for patients who have lost body fluids and may also suffer from acidosis because of the "regulating expert" of sodium lactate. Just like my mother's acute gastroenteritis, where vomiting and diarrhea lead to the loss of alkaline intestinal fluid and acidic blood, using sodium lactate Ringer is just the right treatment.
Now my mother's digestive system has been well regulated, but every time I pass by the clinic and see the infusion area, I will take a closer look at those hanging infusion bags. Once I ran into the nurse who gave my mother a needle last time, and she smiled and said, "Did the sodium lactate Ringer you asked about last time become your 'family knowledge' now?" I scratched my head and smiled, "There's nothing we can do. We have patients at home, so we have to figure it out before we can feel at ease." In fact, upon careful consideration, this medicine is like the body's "emergency supply package" - when we lose a large amount of body fluids for various reasons, it can replenish water and electrolytes in a timely manner, adjust the body's acid-base balance, and make various organs "rotate" again.
However, speaking of which, although Sodium Lactate Ringer sounds quite versatile, ordinary people cannot blindly use it on their own. As my classmate mentioned, doctors need to determine the type of fluid loss based on specific circumstances, such as whether there is renal dysfunction, severe acidosis or alkalosis, and whether the fluid loss is isotonic, hypotonic, or hypertonic. Once during a community lecture, the doctor gave an example and said, "If someone only has a common cold and a fever, and is sweating a little, then receiving saline solution is enough, and there is no need to use sodium lactate Ringer. But if someone is like my mother who vomits and pulls, and loses a lot of intestinal fluid, then sodium lactate Ringer needs to be used." Looking back on my experience at the clinic that day, I am especially grateful for the nurse's patient explanation and grateful that I asked a few more questions. In fact, medical knowledge is not far from us, it is hidden in these small details of life. Next time someone in my family encounters a similar situation, I can definitely calmly say, 'Don't panic, this sodium lactate Ringer is used to replenish water and balance the body, and doctors know it in their hearts.' After all, understanding what 'sodium lactate Ringer' is is not only to satisfy curiosity, but also to gain more peace of mind and understanding when needed.