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Fluid resuscitation in children with severe infection and septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the current evidence on various aspects of fluid therapy such as type, volume, and timing of fluid bolus administration in children with septic shock. Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials including children less than 18 years of age admitted to the pediatric emergency and intensive care unit with severe infection and shock requiring fluid resuscitation. The intervention included balanced crystalloids (BC) vs normal saline (NS), colloids vs NS, restricted vs liberal fluid bolus, and slow vs fast fluid bolus. The primary outcome was mortality rate. Of the 219 citations retrieved, 12 trials (3526 children with severe infection with or without malaria and shock) were included. The pooled results found no significant difference in the mortality rate between groups comparing balanced crystalloids (BC) vs normal saline (NS), colloids vs NS, restricted vs liberal fluid bolus, and slow vs fast fluid bolus. The risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) was significantly less in the BC group compared to the NS group. The certainty of evidence for mortality was of “moderate certainty” in the BC vs NS group, and was of “very low certainty” for the other two groups.

Conclusions: The current meta-analysis found no significant difference in the mortality rate between the types of resuscitation fluid, and their speed or volume of administration. However, a significantly decreased risk of AKI was found in the BC group. More evidence is needed regarding the speed and volume of administration of fluid boluses in critically ill children.

Prospero registration: CRD42020209066.

What is known:

• Balanced crystalloids (BC) may be better than normal saline (NS) for fluid resuscitation in critically ill children.

What is new:

• BC are better than NS for fluid resuscitation in critically ill children as they decrease AKI and hyperchloremia.

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Data Availability

All the data are published with this manuscript and there are no unpublished data. For any additional information, the corresponding author can be contacted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Intensive Care, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, 751019, India

    Rashmi Ranjan Das

  2. Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Intensive Care, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, 110029, India

    Jhuma Sankar & Kiran Kumar Banothu

Authors
  1. Jhuma Sankar
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  3. Kiran Kumar Banothu
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Contributions

Conceptualization: JS, RRD; Methodology and carrying out of the experiment: RRD, JS, KKB; Formal analysis and investigation: RRD, KKB; Writing of initial draft: JS, RRD; Review and editing: JS, RRD, KKB; Guarantor: JS. All the authors have seen and approved this version for publication.

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Correspondence to Jhuma Sankar.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Communicated by Piet Leroy

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Sankar, J., Das, R.R. & Banothu, K.K. Fluid resuscitation in children with severe infection and septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Pediatr (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-024-05653-w

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