Skip to main content

High Probability Reported That Balanced Crystalloids in ICU Cut Mortality

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 27, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 27, 2023 -- For adults in the intensive care unit (ICU), there is a high probability that use of balanced crystalloids decreases in-hospital mortality compared with saline, according to a review published online Nov. 30 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Fernando G. Zampieri, Ph.D., from HCor Research Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether use of balanced solutions compared to saline reduces in-hospital mortality in adult ICU patients. Data were included from six eligible randomized controlled trials, with 34,685 participants: 17,407 assigned to receive balanced crystalloids and 17,278 to receive saline.

The researchers found that 16.8 and 17.3 percent of those assigned balanced solutions and saline, respectively, died in the hospital (odds ratio, 0.962; 95 percent credible interval, 0.909 to 1.019), with a posterior probability that balanced solutions reduced mortality of 0.895. Overall, 19.1 and 14.7 percent of the patients with traumatic brain injury assigned balanced solutions and saline, respectively, died (odds ratio, 1.424; 95 percent credible interval, 1.100 to 1.818); the probability of balanced solutions increasing mortality was 0.975 in patients with traumatic brain injury.

"Overall, there is a high probability that use of balanced solutions compared with saline in the ICU is associated with reduced in-hospital mortality and reduced treatment with renal replacement therapy, with the evidence being of moderate certainty," the authors write. "However, in patients with traumatic brain injury, balanced solutions probably increase mortality."

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted December 2023

Read this next

BMI Cutoff of 30 for Obesity May Be Too High for Middle-Aged, Older Adults

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- The optimal body mass index (BMI) cutoff point appears to be 27 kg/m2 for detecting obesity in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study presented...

Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery Rates Increased With Lower Country Income

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- For patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, emergency surgery rates increase from high- to low-income countries, according to a study published online...

Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Levels Higher in Black Than White Women

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are higher in Black than White pregnant women, supporting the use of accounting for these differences in...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.