Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings
Published on: October 25, 2015
Sweet or Salty: Comparing Dextrose and Sodium Acetate Umbilical Arterial Catheter Fluids
Rachel Qian1, Purnahamsi V Desai2,3, Aashish Shah2
1Department of Pharmacy (RQ, JT, FB), New York University Langone Health, New York, NY.
Objective:
To evaluate safety and clinical benefit of sodium acetate umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) fluid in neonates.
Methods:
This single-center, retrospective cohort study included neonates receiving dextrose 5% or sodium acetate 77 mEq/L heparinized fluid for UAC patency. The primary outcome was the potential number of capillary heel sticks avoided. Secondary outcomes included hypernatremia, intraventricular hemorrhage, metabolic acidosis, acute kidney injury, chronic lung disease, and parenteral nutrition optimization. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia and preterm infants.
Results:
There were 202 patients (dextrose n = 100; sodium acetate n = 102) included. The sodium acetate group demonstrated a greater number of potential heel sticks avoided per UAC line day (0 vs 2.2; p < 0.001). Despite a higher incidence of hypernatremia (sodium > 145 mEq/L) with sodium acetate, hypernatremia with sodium > 150 mEq/L were not significant between groups and there were no significant differences in other clinical outcomes.
Conclusions:
Using sodium acetate for UAC patency is safe and may decrease the number of painful capillary heel sticks.
Related Concept Videos
Solution Composition During Acid/Base Titrations
The α0 and α1 values represent the...
Dialysis
Composition of Body Fluids
Peritoneal Dialysis I: Introduction and Procedure
Ions as Acids and Bases
Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions, either of which may be capable of undergoing an acid or base ionization reaction with water. Aqueous salt solutions, therefore, may be acidic, basic, or neutral, depending on the relative acid-base strengths of the salt’s constituent ions. For example, dissolving the ammonium chloride in water results in its dissociation, as described by the equation:
Titration of a Weak Acid with a Strong Base

