Your Patient Is a 68-Year-Old Female Who Is Being Treated

Your patient is a 68-year-old female who is being treated for colon cancer. She is conscious and alert, in mild distress, and complaining of progressive weakness over the past three days. Palpation of her abdomen reveals tenderness to the lower right quadrant. Her skin is pale, cool, and dry, and you note the smell and appearance of melena in her stool. HR = 108, BP = 100/60, RR = 12, SaO₂ = 97%. Proper treatment of this patient might include:

A) IV of normal saline with a 250 mL fluid challenge, repeated if necessary.
B) IV of 5 percent dextrose solution at 30 mL per hour.
C) two large-bore IVs of lactated Ringer's solution, wide open.
D) two large-bore IVs of normal saline, 20 mL/kg fluid bolus.