• Urban Fläring, Per-Arne Lönnqvist, Björn Frenckner, Jan F Svensson, Ingimar Ingolfsson, Lena Wallensteen, Shayarina Stigzelius, Jan Kowalski, and Rafael T Krmar.
• Karolinska Institutet, Department for Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Pediatrics, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
• Bmc Pediatr. 2011 Jan 1;11:61.

BackgroundHyponatremia is the most frequent electrolyte abnormality observed in post-operative pediatric patients receiving intravenous maintenance fluid therapy. If plasma sodium concentration (p-Na+) declines to levels below 125 mmol/L in < 48 h, transient or permanent brain damage may occur. There is an intense debate as to whether the administered volume (full rate vs. restricted rate of infusion) and the composition of solutions used for parenteral maintenance fluid therapy (hypotonic vs. isotonic solutions) contribute to the development of hyponatremia. So far, there is no definitive pediatric data to support a particular choice of parenteral fluid for maintenance therapy in post-surgical patients.Methods/DesignOur prospective randomized non-blinded study will be conducted in healthy children and adolescents aged 1 to 14 years who have been operated for acute appendicitis. Patients will be randomized either to intravenous hypotonic (0.23% or 0.40% sodium chloride in glucose, respectively) or near-isotonic (0.81% sodium chloride in glucose) solution given at approximately three-fourths of the average maintenance rate. The main outcome of interest from this study is to evaluate 24 h post-operatively whether differences in p-Na+ between treatment groups are large enough to be of clinical relevance. In addition, water and electrolyte balance as well as regulatory hormones will be measured.DiscussionThis study will provide valuable information on the efficacy of hypotonic and near-isotonic fluid therapy in preventing a significant decrease in p-Na+. Finally, by means of careful electrolyte and water balance and by measuring regulatory hormones our results will also contribute to a better understanding of the physiopathology of post-operative changes in p-Na+ in a population at risk for hyponatremia.Trial RegistrationThe protocol for this study is registered with the current controlled trials registry; registry number: ISRCTN43896775.

21 keywords...

hide…