Fluids

Abstract

Fluid therapy is probably one of the most common interventions in intensive care medicine, after administration of oxygen. Fluids are drugs. The choice of the type of fluid, the dose, indications, and side-effects are crucially important. This chapter discusses fluids and includes discussion on crystalloids, colloids, sodium bicarbonate (including discussion on common indications for sodium bicarbonate administration, potential and theoretical dangers of sodium bicarbonate administration, sodium bicarbonate preparations, and sodium bicarbonate in dialysate fluids), and blood (describing laboratory testing for coagulopathy and blood components commonly available in the UK).