For adults in the ICU with septic shock, IV fluid restriction does not result in fewer deaths at 90 days compared with standard IV fluid therapy, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Anders Perner, MD, PhD, and colleagues conducted an international, randomized trial involving 1,554 patients with septic shock in the ICU who were randomly assigned to receive either restricted IV fluid or standard IV fluid therapy (770 and 784 patients, respectively). Participants in the restrictive fluid group received a median of 1,798 mL of IV fluid, compared with a median of 3,811 mL in the standard fluid group. Deaths occurred in 42.3% and 42.1% of participants in the restrictive- and standard-fluid groups, respectively, at 90 days. In the ICU, serious adverse events occurred at least once in 29.4% and 30.8% of patients, respectively. At 90 days after randomization, the two groups had similar numbers of days alive without life support and days alive and out of the hospital.
