The Truth is Powerful
Medical personnel work at LDS Hospital’s COVID-19 unit in Salt Lake City on Tuesday Feb. 3, 2022. Photo credit: Intermountain Health Care. SALT LAKE CITY — Intermountain Healthcare said Tuesday that its researchers found a “better” and “safer” treatment option for IV fluid. Intermountain researchers conducted a 15-month-long study that compared lactated Ringer solution to commonly used saline solution.
Intermountain said in a press release Tuesday that the study included 148,423 adult hospital patients in both Utah and Idaho. Background on IV fluids
200 million liters of saline solution are used each year in the U.S., according to Intermountain. The solution has many uses, including replenishing patients’ fluids and delivering medication.
Intermountain said there is “mounting evidence” to show that saline solutions might increase the risk to patient’s health. This might be due to the solution having more acidity and higher chloride levels than fluids found in the body.
Lactated Ringer solution, like saline, replaces fluids and electrolytes in patients with low blood volume or low blood pressure.
That said, the lactated Ringer solution has different ingredients and is more similar to blood plasma than the saline solution. What Intermountain Healthcare found The study showed that patients given lactated Ringer solution as their […]