Fluids in Septic Shock (FISSH)

Severe infection can lead to many complications within the human body including low blood pressure, which is called septic shock. The main treatments for septic shock are intravenous antibiotics and intravenous fluid.

There are many different intravenous fluids available for doctors to use. Each one of these fluids has potential advantages as well as potential disadvantages. Doctors will often look at many things when deciding which fluid to give including the results of bloodwork and the clinical characteristics of the patients themselves. There is limited direction from research studies that using one fluid type is better than another. Some preliminary research in the field has suggested that one specific electrolyte, call chloride, may be harmful when given to patients in high concentrations. Animal research has shown that the administration of high chloride fluids may be harmful to the lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal and muscle cells. Some intravenous fluids have higher concentrations of chloride than others.

The investigators plan to study the impact of giving patients with severe infection intravenous fluids with either a high chloride concentration (normal saline or high chloride albumin) or a low chloride concentration (Ringers Lactate or low chloride albumin). This trial will build on the earlier pilot, phase 1 study and will look at patient-important outcomes such as rate of death, kidney failure and length of stay in the ICU. This larger study has the potential to guide the care of critically ill patients with infection worldwide.