John A. Myburgh, M.B., B.Ch., Ph.D. NEJM Online, May 26, 2011 (10.1056/NEJMe1105490)
Fluid resuscitation is a fundamental intervention in the treatment of critically ill patients. However, there is little conclusive evidence to guide clinicians about the best type of resuscitation fluid; the appropriate timing, volume, and rate of fluid administration; and the optimal way to adequately monitor the efficacy and safety of fluid resuscitation in various clinical conditions.1
Although the complications associated with excessive volume of resuscitation fluid — such as pulmonary and interstitial edema — are well recognized, an emerging body of evidence suggests that the type of resuscitation fluid may adversely affect the outcomes in specific clinical conditions; for example, albumin is associated with increased mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury,2 and high-molecular-weight preparations of hydroxyethyl starch are associated with acute kidney injury in patients with severe sepsis.3
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