[Choice of crystalloids in interventions and surgery]

Fluid therapy is daily routine in the perioperative setting; however, high quality guidelines are lacking. The S3-guideline Intravasal Fluid Therapy in the Adult Patient gives evidence- and consensus-based recommendations for the use of fluids in perioperative and critically ill patients. In addition to identifying hypovolemia and guiding volume replacement, the type of fluid that should be used is addressed.

The purpose of this article is to present and discuss the recommendations of the S3-guideline with respect to the choice of crystalloids in the perioperative setting.

A literature search within the scope of the guideline development was performed.

In this review the recommendations and their rationale in the perioperative setting are presented. Crystalloids are the basis of fluid therapy. Instead of isotonic saline, buffered solutions are recommended. Regarding the type of buffer (lactate, acetate, malate), no preferences based on outcome data can be made.