A randomised controlled trial of prehospital intravenous fluid replacement therapy in serious trauma

Turner J, Nicholl J, Webber L, Cox H, Dixon S, Yates D
Record ID 32000000926
English
Authors' objectives:

This study aims to compare the effects of two different fluid replacement protocols, one usually with fluid administration and one usually without, used by paramedics

Authors' recommendations: This study does not support the idea that protocols recommending fluid administration do harm in blunt trauma patients. Previous studies have shown that, even though the initiation of intravenous fluids by paramedics seems to be associated with an increased risk of death, this may not be remediable by altering fluids protocols. It is possible that either giving fluids early does no harm, or that only one-quarter of patients are given fluids, and thus the specific protocol used makes little difference to this proportion. Ambulance services should therefore concentrate on avoiding unnecessary delays and speeding up transfer to definitive care in hospital rather than concentrate on their fluids protocols.
Authors' methods: Randomised controlled trial
Details
Project Status: Completed
URL for project: http://www.hta.ac.uk/904
Year Published: 2000
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Body Fluids
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Emergency Medical Technicians
  • Wounds and Injuries
  • Fluid Therapy
Contact
Organisation Name: NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme
Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK
Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Copyright: 2009 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO
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