Providing fluid therapy to equine colic patients. Part 2

摘要

Fluid therapy in critically ill horses with colic can be life-saving. However, it is imperative that clinicians understand when fluid therapy is indicated, how much and what type of fluid should be administered and the potential adverse effects associated with therapy. While patients with normal renal function will tolerate inappropriate fluid therapy, this is not the case during critical illness. The key to fluid therapy is continual reassessment of the patient's status to avoid under or over administration of fluids. As our knowledge of fluid therapy is continually improving, it is likely that recommendations will change considerably and clinicians should keep abreast of recent controversies in human medicine and paradigm shifts in practice. However, it is unlikely that any consensus guidelines will emerge in the near future in the absence of robust, clinical, species-specific evidence.