Nursing times
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Plasma volume expanders--crystalloid, colloid, or a mixture of both--are used as fluid replacement in patients who have postoperative hypovoloaemia. Despite numerous clinical trials there is little evidence that either classification of plasma volume expander is more beneficial to mortality than the other.
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The current outbreak of avian influenza in South East Asia has resulted in a small number of human deaths. Avian flu can pass from birds to humans, although the number of humans infected is low. The fear is that the avian flu virus could mutate in a human who was also infected with a common flu virus, creating a new strain that could pass from human to human. Nurses, especially those working in travel health, should keep themselves informed of the latest developments.