Which hormone is most likely affecting fluid balance in a client with fluid volume deficit?

The hormone most likely affecting fluid balance in a client with fluid volume deficit is antidiuretic hormone (ADH). ADH plays a crucial role in regulating the body’s fluid balance by promoting water reabsorption in the kidneys. When a person is experiencing fluid volume deficit, which may occur due to dehydration or blood loss, the body responds by increasing ADH secretion. This increase leads to enhanced water retention, which helps to restore fluid volume and maintain blood pressure.

ADH acts primarily at the collecting ducts in the kidneys, making them more permeable to water. This mechanism allows more water to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream rather than being excreted in urine, thereby helping to conserve water. In conditions of fluid deficit, the stimulation of ADH secretion is an essential physiological response aimed at correcting the imbalance and preventing further dehydration.

In contrast, the other hormones listed do not directly regulate fluid balance in the same manner. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) primarily influences metabolic processes, while epinephrine is involved in the fight-or-flight response and affects blood flow, cardiac output, and glucose metabolism but does not play a direct role in fluid retention. Cortisol, a stress hormone, does influence fluid levels somewhat by