title: Colloids versus crystalloids for emergency patients.
abstract: Emergency as well as critical care nurses are often responsible for the administration and regulation of fluid resuscitation for their patients. A serious and potentially fatal decline in vital organ performance can often occur as a result of inappropriate volume management. However, emergency and/or critically ill patients who require fluid resuscitation often receive concurrent therapy and monitoring that may have equal or greater impact on the survival and therapeutic end points than does the type of fluid received. These variables have made historical comparisons of crystalloid versus colloid resuscitation difficult. The purpose of this article is to critique three articles that examine crystalloid and colloid resuscitation for patients with various disease processes.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China. fujin@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Shih
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077324:Crystalloid Solutions; D015633:Extravascular Lung Water / Q000187:drug effects; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D018579:Patient Selection; D010952:Plasma Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D000077324:Crystalloid Solutions; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D010952:Plasma Substitutes