I created this mini case study from a story about a patient given sterile water instead of saline in an intravenous drip solution. Students should probably have a learned about tonicity (hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic) before attempting this activity.

The worksheet describes a scenario where a patient was hyperglycemic and the doctor ordered water be administered, which was interpreted to mean administered intravenously. The short reading passage includes several related vocabulary words: tonicity, hemolysis, infusion.

Students then answer a series of questions related to the case and their understanding of osmosis, the cell membrane, and osmoregulation.

This lesson is great for anatomy and physiology class, particularly when reviewing osmosis. Students learn that a technical concept like tonicity is important for biological functions. In this case, putting DI water in an IV is deadly!