Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34010324›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2021

The effects of 0.9% saline versus Plasma-Lyte 148 on renal function as assessed by creatinine concentration in patients undergoing major surgery: A single-centre double-blinded cluster crossover trial.

Laurence Weinberg, Michael Hua-Gen Li, Leonid Churilov, Christopher Macgregor, Kent Garrett, Jade Eyles, Rinaldo Bellomo

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Professor Rinaldo Bellomo: Founder, architect, and choreographer of critical care nephrology.Critical care and resuscitation : journal of the Australasian Academy of Critical Care Medicine · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Laurence WeinbergDepartment of Anaesthesia, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7403-7680
Michael Hua-Gen LiDepartment of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4305-399X
Leonid ChurilovDepartment of Medicine (Austin Health) and Melbourne Brain Centre at Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Christopher MacgregorDepartment of Anaesthesia, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Kent GarrettDepartment of Pharmacy, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Jade EylesDepartment of Pharmacy, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Rinaldo BellomoDepartment of Intensive Care, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Austin Health · AUThe University of Melbourne · AUAustin Hospital · AUThe Royal Melbourne Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesSaline and Plasma-Lyte have different physiochemical contents; consequently, they may differently affect patients' renal function. We compared the effects of fluid therapy with 0.9% saline and with Plasma-Lyte 148 on renal function as assessed by creatinine concentration among patients undergoing major surgery.

methodsWe conducted a prospective, double-blinded cluster crossover trial comparing the effects of the two fluids on major surgery patients. The primary aim was to establish the pilot feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy evidence base for a large interventional trial to establish whether saline or Plasma-Lyte is the preferred crystalloid fluid for managing major surgery patients. The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients with changes in renal function as assessed by creatinine concentration during their index hospital admission. We used changes in creatinine to define acute kidney injury (AKI) according to the RIFLE criteria.

resultsThe study was feasible with 100% patient and clinician acceptance. There were no deviations from the trial protocol. After screening, we allocated 602 patients to saline and 458 to Plasma-Lyte. The median (IQR) volume of intraoperative fluid received was 2000 mL (1000:2000) in both groups. Forty-nine saline patients (8.1%) and 49 Plasma-Lyte patients (10.7%) developed a postoperative AKI (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR]: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.93-1.95; p = 0.120). No differences were observed in the development of postoperative complications (aIRR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.89-1.08) or the severity of the worst complication (aIRR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.78-1.30). The median (IQR) length of hospital stay was six days (3:11) for the saline group and five days (3:10) for the Plasma-Lyte group (aIRR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73-0.98). There were no serious adverse events relating to the trial fluids, nor were there fluid crossover or contamination events.

conclusionsThe study design was feasible to support a future follow-up larger clinical trial. Patients treated with saline did not demonstrate an increased incidence of postoperative AKI (defined as changes in creatinine) compared to those treated with Plasma-Lyte. Our findings imply that clinicians can reasonably use either solution intraoperatively for adult patients undergoing major surgery.

trial registrationRegistry: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12613001042730; URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=364988.

Indexed as

Acute Kidney InjuryAgedAustraliaCreatinineCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodFemaleGluconatesHumansKidneyMagnesium ChlorideMaleMiddle AgedPostoperative ComplicationsPotassium ChlorideProspective StudiesCreatinineGluconatesMagnesium ChloridePlasma-lyte 148Potassium ChlorideSaline SolutionSodium AcetateSodium Chloride

Identifiers

PMID34010324
PMCPMC8133498
OpenAlexW3160881470

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.