Acute care
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The choice of colloid or crystalloid solutions for fluid resuscitation of critically ill patients remains controversial. Marked reduction of extracellular water is considered an important defect in shock by proponents of crystalloid fluid therapy. Large volumes of crystalloid replenish this extracellular deficit. ⋯ This is of greatest moment in the fluid resuscitation of patients in whom circulatory shock follows volume depletion. Crystalloid fluid repletion which requires between 2- and 4-fold as much volume as colloidal fluid is of little risk in the young, traumatically injured patient. However, in older patients, the risk of pulmonary edema is increased.