Which action is appropriate when signs of fluid overload occur during IV therapy?

• A. Stop IV completely
• B. Decrease rate to minimum and elevate HOB, assess lungs and edema
• C. Increase IV rate
• D. Provide fluids orally to compensate

Answer: (B)

When IV fluid overload is suspected, the priority is to prevent further fluid administration while evaluating the patient’s breathing and circulation. The best first step is to slow the IV rate to the minimum, elevate the head of the bed to ease breathing, and promptly assess the lungs and check for edema. This lets you spot signs of pulmonary edema (such as crackles and shortness of breath) and track how the body is handling the excess fluid, guiding subsequent action like stopping the IV or notifying the clinician.

Increasing the IV rate would worsen the overload, and offering oral fluids would add more volume and could create aspiration risk if the patient is not tolerating fluids due to dyspnea. Stopping the infusion completely may be necessary if symptoms escalate, but reducing the rate and reassessing is the appropriate immediate response to start with.