Podcast: Colloids or crystalloids for fluid replacement in critically ill people

The care of critically ill patients is highly complex, requiring treatments for their underlying conditions and for the consequences of those conditions, such as the loss of bodily fluids. A wide range of these treatments are assessed in Cochrane Reviews and one of these was updated in August 2018, looking at the effects of giving patients extra fluids. Lead author, Sharon Lewis from the Royal Lancaster Infirmary in the UK, tells us about the latest findings in this podcast." People who are critically ill may lose large amounts of fluid because of trauma, burns, infections, such as sepsis, or other serious conditions. They are often given additional fluids, usually intravenously, to try to counter this and two of the common types are crystalloids and colloids. Crystalloids are salt solutions, which are cheap, easy to use, and provide immediate resuscitation – but the small molecules in these solutions mean that they pass through the cells quickly and can cause oedema, or swelling. Colloids have larger molecules and may be more efficient at increasing fluid volume in the blood. They include starches, dextrans, gelatins, and naturally-occurring colloid s, such as albumin or fresh frozen plasma or FFP. However, they are more expensive and there are concerns about side effects, including kidney failure, blood clotting disorders, and allergic reactions.Therefore, we updated and extended the Cochrane Review of colloids versus crystalloids in critically ill people, to provide up-t...
Source: Cochrane News and Events - Category: Information Technology Authors: Source Type: news