title: Now and then, the history of parenteral fluid administration.
abstract: The use of blood and intravenous fluid therapy is now considered routine therapy. The level of sophistication that we now perceive as standard has resulted from centuries of legends, religious beliefs, pseudo-science, non-scientific supposition, experimentation and error. The purpose of this article is to review the evolution of parenteral fluid and transfusion therapy through history. Data were collected via online search through the medical literature (ovid-medline), historical journals, medical history books as well as visits to historical medical libraries. We express our appreciation and gratitude to the hundreds of scientists whose work has allowed us to practice medicine, as we know it.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Section WIIIL, UCLA School of Medicine and West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Wilshire and Sawtelle Boulevards, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
authors.forename: Noha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barsoum
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kleeman
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000266:history*; D002771:Cholera / Q000266:history / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000266:history*; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans