When seconds count in the ICU, the IV fluid you choose could literally make or break a patient’s recovery. In this episode, we’re unpacking one of the biggest debates in critical care: balanced crystalloids vs. normal saline. A massive new meta-analysis of over 35,000 patients drops a game-changing truth—your fluid choice must depend on whether the patient has a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Balanced solutions may lower mortality in most critically ill patients, but for those with TBI, they could actually do harm. Tune in to hear how this data is flipping standard practice on its head and pushing the ICU world toward smarter, personalized resuscitation.
Want to dive deeper? Check out the full study “Effect of Treatment With Balanced Crystalloids Versus Normal Saline on the Mortality of Critically Ill Patients With and Without Traumatic Brain Injury” by José C. Diz et al. in Critical Care and Resuscitation.
ResusX:Podcast