Why does administering a hypertonic saline solution improve cerebral edema following traumatic brain injury?

💡 Explanation

Hypertonic saline reduces cerebral edema via osmosis. The increased interstitial fluid oncotic pressure caused by the saline draws water from the edematous brain tissue back into the vasculature through capillary filtration, therefore decreasing the swelling, rather than directly affecting inflammation or cell proliferation.

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