Individual research recommendation details

Recommendation ID

NG29/3

Question

Fluid balance charts:- For children and young people receiving IV fluids, does the use of a standardised national fluid balance chart reduce the rate of complications arising as a result of prescription and/or administration errors?

Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)

Why this is important:- The National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths reports in 1999 and 2009 identified problems in fluid management in patients in the UK. A lack of consistency in prescribing and recording IV fluids may contribute to this. A lack of familiarity of 'mobile' medical and nursing staff with fluid balance charts in different hospital settings may further increase the likelihood of prescription and administration errors.
A prospective cohort of children and young people receiving IV fluids, prescribed and documented on a standardised national fluid balance chart, or a case–control study comparing the use of a standardised national fluid balance chart with non-standard 'local' fluid balance charts is needed to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of using a standardised national fluid balance chart. Outcomes should include complications of IV fluid therapy (hypovolaemia, hypervolaemia, electrolyte abnormalities, neurological complications and hypoglycaemia) and incidence of prescription errors. If using a standardised national fluid balance chart resulted in better fluid
prescription and clinical outcomes in children and young people, this could potentially lead to significant cost savings for the NHS.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance

Intravenous fluid therapy in children and young people in hospital

Number

NG29

Date issued

December 2015

Other details