Association between chloride-rich versus chloride-restrictive intravenous fluid administration and acute kidney injury in cardiovascular patients in ICU wards

The aim of the study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of chloride-restrictive fluid to prevent acute kidney injury (AKI) in cardiovascular patients in intensive care unit (ICU) wards. Between January 2013 and September 2014, 456 patients admitted to ICU wards following diagnosis of cardiovascular disease were recruited and randomized to receive chloride-rich (232 patients) or chloride-restrictive (224 patients) fluid. The baseline characteristics and incidence of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)-defined AKI was then compared. No significant difference was identified in the baseline characteristics between the two groups. The incidence of moderate-to-severe KDIGO-defined AKI was significantly decreased in patients who received chloride-restrictive fluid. In conclusion, chloride-restrictive may be a novel effective intervention in preventing KDIGO-defined AKI in cardiovascular patients in ICU wards.