A Hospital-Wide Open-Label Cluster Crossover Pragmatic Comparative Effectiveness Randomized Trial Comparing Normal Saline to Ringer’s Lactate: Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan of The FLUID Trial

BACKGROUND: Normal saline (NS) and Ringer's lactate (RL) are the most common crystalloids given to hospitalized patients. Despite concern about possible harm associated with NS (eg, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, impaired kidney function, and death), few large multicenter randomized trials focused on critically ill patients have compared these fluids. Uncertainty exists about the effects of these fluids on clinically important outcomes …