ArticleCureus2025
A Quality Improvement Project on Optimising Intravenous Maintenance Fluid Prescribing in Surgical Patients.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInappropriate intravenous (IV) fluid prescribing is a common and preventable source of morbidity in hospitalised patients. Maintenance fluids should meet daily physiological requirements without causing electrolyte imbalances or fluid overload. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend hypotonic, balanced solutions tailored to patient weight.
aimThis study aims to evaluate adherence to NICE IV fluid prescribing guidelines in a district general hospital's general surgery department, implement targeted interventions, and assess impact through re-audit.
methodsA three-phase quality improvement project using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle was conducted. Phase 1 involved retrospective analysis of IV maintenance fluid prescriptions for emergency laparotomy patients (n = 21). Phase 2 introduced a new default fluid (0.45% NaCl + 0.15% KCl + 5% dextrose), delivered teaching sessions, and disseminated prescribing guidance. Phase 3 was a re-audit (n = 20) conducted one month post-intervention.
resultsPre-intervention, only 9.5% of patients received fluids in line with NICE guidance. Sodium and chloride intake exceeded recommended levels by over 200%, while potassium provision was 83% below target. Post-intervention, appropriate prescribing increased to 45%, with reductions in sodium (by 165%) and chloride (by 128%) administration, and improved potassium and dextrose provision.
conclusionA multidisciplinary intervention significantly improved adherence to fluid prescribing guidelines, reduced electrolyte excess, and enhanced patient safety. Sustained improvement requires trust-wide policy development, consistent education, and broader implementation across departments.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.