Definition of "hypertonic" [hy•per•ton•ic]

• Pathology Having extreme muscular or arterial tension. (adjective)
• Chemistry Having the higher osmotic pressure of two solutions. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Without their knowledge, local trauma patients who meet the criteria to be in the study are randomly assigned to receive an IV drip of normal saline solution or one of two types of "hypertonic" saline solution."
• ""At present there appears to be no compelling reason to adopt a practice of hypertonic fluid resuscitation for TBI [traumatic brain injury] in the out-of-hospital setting.""
• "Dr. Mayer and University of Washington surgery Prof. Eileen M. Bulger, who conducted this study, said hypertonic fluids still may have a role in treating severely injured, hospitalized patients with elevated intra-cranial pressure .."