Echocardiography is ideally suited to guide fluid resuscitation in critically ill patients. It can be used to assess fluid responsiveness by looking at the left ventricle, aortic outflow, inferior vena cava and right ventricle. Static measurements and dynamic variables based on heart-lung interactions all combine to predict and measure fluid responsiveness and assess response to intravenous flu...

Fluid challenges are considered the cornerstone of resuscitation in critically ill patients. However, clinical studies have demonstrated that only about 50% of hemodynamically unstable patients are volume responsive. Furthermore, increasing evidence suggests that excess fluid resuscitation is associated with increased mortality. It therefore becomes vital to assess a patient's fluid responsiven...

BACKGROUND Colloids are widely used in the replacement of fluid volume. However doubts remain as to which colloid is best. Different colloids vary in their molecular weight and therefore in the length of time they remain in the circulatory system. Because of this and their other characteristics, they may differ in their safety and efficacy. OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of different collo...

The purpose of this review is to summarise the commonly used formulae for fluid resuscitation in major burns and to discuss the controversy surrounding the use of protein-based colloids as a component of these types of formulae. Fluid resuscitation in major burns is one of the most critical steps in managing this type of injury. In practice, a wide variety of formulae for fluid resuscitation ha...

OBJECTIVES Evidence to guide fluid resuscitation evidence in sepsis continues to evolve. We conducted a multicountry survey of emergency and critical care physicians to describe current stated practice and practice variation related to the quantity, rapidity and type of resuscitation fluid administered in early septic shock to inform the design of future septic shock fluid resuscitation trials....

BACKGROUND Bedside inferior vena cava (IVC) ultrasound has been proposed as a non-invasive measure of volume status. We compared ultrasound measurements of the caval index (CI) and physician gestalt to predict blood pressure response in patients requiring intravenous fluid resuscitation. METHODS This was a prospective study of adult emergency department patients requiring fluid resuscitation....

INTRODUCTION The most effective rate of fluid resuscitation in haemorrhagic shock is unknown. METHODS We performed a randomized crossover pilot study in a healthy volunteer model of compensated haemorrhagic shock. Following venesection of 15 mL/kg of blood, participants were randomized to 20 mL/kg of crystalloid over 10 min (FAST treatment) or 30 min (SLOW treatment). The primary end point wa...

While organ hypoperfusion caused by inadequate resuscitation has become rare in clinical practice due to the better understanding of burn shock pathophysiology, there is growing concern that increased morbidity and mortality related to over-resuscitation induced by late 20th century resuscitation strategies based on urine output, is occurring more frequently in burn care. In order to reduce com...