[Perioperative fluid therapy]

Physiologic balance between fluids and electrolytes should remain stable during the perioperative period. Gaps in our understanding of how this balance is maintained has given rise to inappropriate management practices. Both failure to replace lost fluids and the infusion of excessive amounts can lead to serious consequences for the patient. There is currently renewed interest in studying the best use of fluids and/or blood products during and after surgery. This update of perioperative fluid therapy is based on a review of indexed literature retrieved by means of a PubMed search for the period of January 1999 through December 2009.