Maintenance parenteral fluids in the critically ill child.

OBJECTIVE: To examine electrolyte-free water requirements that should be considered when administering maintenance fluids in a critically ill child. We examine some of the difficulties in estimating these requirements, and discuss the controversies with respect to the traditional recommendations. SOURCES: MEDLINE (1966-2007), Embase (1980-2007), and the Cochrane Library, using the terms fluid therapy, hypotonic, isotonic solution, and synonyms …