The primary objective of this study is to compare the blood sodium level after 12 hours following the initiation of therapy with either 0.3% NaCl/dextrose 5% or 0.45% NaCl/dextrose 5%, in postsurgical hospitalized children requiring maintenance IV fluid administration.
Background: Despite prescription of maintenance IV fluids in hospitalized children is widely used since 1957 (Holiday \& Segar), it is not always adequate for children with acute diseases, leading to hyponatremia. This mainly occurs due to a non-physiologic ADH secretion in this group of patients due to nausea, stress, pain, and surgical interventions, and the use of hypotonic maintenance IV fluids. 0.3% NaCl/dextrose 5%, is widely use as IV maintenance fluid in children after surgery. There is evidence suggesting that these IV fluids used in postsurgical hospitalized patients do not provide the adequate amount of sodium they require, leading to an increased risk of developing hyponatremia. Using 0.45% NaCl/dextrose 5% as IV maintenance fluid in these children would prevent hyponatremia, but this treatment has not been totally studied yet. Study procedures: Hospitalized children who fulfill inclusion criteria and not having any of the exclusion criteria will be considered for the enrolment after written informed consent. Venous blood samples will be taken at enrollment (baseline) for estimation of serum sodium. After randomization, one group will receive 0.3% NaCl/dextrose 5%, IV, at standard maintenance rate (100 ml/kg for the first 10 kg of body weight, 50 ml/kg for the next 10 kg, and 20 ml/kg for body weight exceeding 20 kg). The second group will receive 0.45% NaCl/dextrose 5%, IV, at the same rate. Serum sodium will be estimated in both groups after 12 hours of intravenous fluid therapy. Children who required oral fluids will be excluded from per-protocol analysis, and only analyzed for intention to treat.
Subjects in this arm will receive 0.45% NaCl/dextrose 5% intravenous (IV) maintenance fluids.Total daily fluid infusion equal to: 80 ml/kg/day for those weighing up to 10 kg, and 1500 ml/m\^2 body surface.
Drug: 0.3% NaCl/dextrose 5% IV maintenance fluids. Total daily fluid infusion equal to: 80 ml/kg/day for those weighing up to 10 kg, and 1500 ml/m\^2 surface.
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires F.D., Argentina