Resuscitation Review Blog
Fluid Resuscitation

Balanced Crystalloids and Normal Saline in Critical Illness

Intravenous fluids are drugs.

They have dose, composition, indications, and adverse effects. Normal saline and balanced crystalloids differ in ways that matter clinically, especially when patients receive large volumes or have kidney injury, shock, or acid-base problems.

Normal saline contains 154 mmol/L of sodium and 154 mmol/L of chloride. That chloride concentration is higher than plasma.

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