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Updated: Aug 1, 2026
Fixed Volume or Fixed Pressure: A Murine Model of Hemorrhagic Shock
Published on: June 6, 2011
Isotonic balanced fluid versus 0.9% saline in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: A
Khadijah Poh1, Aida Bustam1, Mohd Shahnaz Hasan2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Background And Importance:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health concern with significant economic impact. Optimal fluid therapy aims to restore intravascular volume, maintain cerebral perfusion pressure and blood flow, thus preventing secondary brain injury. While 0.9% saline (NS) is commonly used, concerns about acid-base and electrolyte imbalance and development of acute kidney injury (AKI) lead to consideration of balanced fluids as an alternative.
Objectives:
This study aimed to compare the outcomes of patients with moderate to severe TBI treated with Sterofundin (SF) versus NS.
Design, Settings And Participants:
A double-blinded randomised controlled trial of patients aged 18 to 65 years with TBI was conducted at the University Malaya Medical Centre from February 2017 to November 2019.
Intervention Or Exposure:
Patients were randomly assigned to receive either NS or SF. The study fluids were administered for 72 h as continuous infusions or boluses. Participants, investigators, and staff were blinded to the fluid type.
Outcomes Measure And Analysis:
The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated.
Main Results:
A total of 70 patients were included in the analysis, with 38 in the NS group and 32 in the SF group. The in-hospital mortality rate were 3 (7.9%) in the NS group vs. 4 (12.5%) in the SF group, RR = 1.29 (95% CI, 0.64 to 2.59; p = 0.695). No patients developed AKI and required renal replacement therapy. ICP on day 3 was significantly higher in the SF group (18.60 ± 9.26) compared to 12.77 ± 3.63 in the NS group, (95% CI, -11.46 to 0.20; p = 0.037). There were no significant differences in 3-day biochemical parameters and cerebral perfusion pressure, ventilator-free days, length of ICU stay, or Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) score at 6 months.
Conclusions:
In patients with moderate to severe TBI, the use of SF was not associated with reduced in-hospital mortality, development of AKI, or improved 6-month GOS-E when compared to NS.
