Current opinion in critical care
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Fluid resuscitation is a common intervention in acute medical practice. The optimum fluid for resuscitation remains hotly debated and it is likely to vary from one clinical situation to another. Human albumin solutions have been available since the 1940s, but their use varies greatly around the world. This review examines the current evidence for and against the use of albumin as a resuscitation fluid. ⋯ Fluid resuscitation with albumin is well tolerated and produces similar results to resuscitation with saline. Albumin should be avoided in patients with traumatic brain injury; possible benefits in adults with severe sepsis remain to be confirmed.
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Resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is controversial. In this review, we will present the current evidence for the use of HES solutions including data from recent high-quality randomized clinical trials. ⋯ There is no evidence for an overall beneficial effect of HES in any subgroup of critically ill patients, but there are clear signs of harm. As safer alternatives exist, we recommend that HES is no longer used in critically ill patients.
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To review recent studies and information on the relationship between fluid administration and kidney function in critically ill patients. ⋯ Clinicians need to weigh the balance between adequate resuscitation of cardiac output and avoidance of fluid overload. Protocolized resuscitation to hemodynamic goals may help achieve these conflicting goals at least in the early phases of critical illness. In critically ill patients with, or at risk of, AKI, clinicians should avoid starch and, possibly, saline solutions.
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We presume that biomarkers will improve identification of patients at risk, leading to interventions and treatments that reduce perioperative adverse events. Risk stratification is multifactorial, and a biomarker must add information to this process, thereby redistributing patients to either higher or lower risk categories, to improve the allocation of expensive and risky interventions. This review focuses on the utility of three cardiac biomarkers in perioperative management. ⋯ The findings here suggest an expanded role for postoperative cTn surveillance; however, the precise populations that benefit, or the interventions required, are not yet defined. The encouraging data for the other two biomarkers need more investigations before adopting them into routine clinical use.