Current opinion in critical care
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Currently available crystalloids were designed over a century ago for dehydration and not for the treatment of hemorrhagic shock. Information regarding fluids used for resuscitation has grown and thus resuscitation has changed radically in the last two decades. Artificial fluids such as crystalloids and other solutions typically used for resuscitation are now recognized to be inflammatory when infused at high volumes to replace blood. ⋯ Seemingly innocuous fluids have a dose effect and can be detrimental. Crystalloids can create inflammation when used at high volumes and may be the reason for the sequelae seen after massive resuscitation. This has led to the recognition that whole blood is extremely complex and does much more than carry oxygen. Resuscitation has changed recently with the adoption of damage control resuscitation which is the practice of allowing permissive hypotension, minimizing crystalloids and early aggressive use of blood products. This has led to a decrease in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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Tissue hypoxia is a key trigger for organ dysfunction. The maintenance of adequate tissue oxygenation is therefore of particular importance during major surgery. In this review, we discuss the physiological basis and the rationale underlying the recent concepts of perioperative oxygen therapy. ⋯ Adequacy of oxygen delivery to tissue oxygen metabolic demand is essential during the perioperative period. The benefit of perioperative oxygen therapy is rather optimizing the DO2 than increasing inspired oxygen. Improving DO2 has been demonstrated in the perioperative period to reduce both morbidity and mortality. Adaptation of DO2 to O2 consumption using specific goals seems promising.
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In surgical patients, outcome is strictly dependent on the occurrence of postoperative complications, and a postoperative failing kidney has a significant independent effect on outcome. Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in 1% of noncardiac surgical patients and is commonly associated with more serious complications. It is important to prevent AKI wherever possible. ⋯ Adopting adequate nephroprotective strategies is favored by knowing the moment of the actual insult to the kidney. Nevertheless, in the literature too many areas of uncertainty still exist due to the lack of renal risk stratification, of adequately powered studies, of uniform AKI definition, and of appropriate sample composition. The only recommendation for renal protection still consists in maintaining an optimal blood volume and an adequate cardiac output.
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Significant attention has been recently focused on both maintenance fluid and resuscitation fluid use in critical care. Accordingly, a focused review of the properties of crystalloid and colloid fluids, their expected benefits, and potential deleterious side effects is appropriate and timely. ⋯ This focused review further enables the clinician to appropriately investigate, modify, and optimize bedside clinical care related to fluid and acid-base management.