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Review article: Hypertonic saline use in the emergency department
Author(s) -
Banks Colin J,
Furyk Jeremy S
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-6723.2008.01086.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hypertonic saline , emergency department , resuscitation , intracranial pressure , diabetic ketoacidosis , traumatic brain injury , cerebral edema , anesthesia , intensive care medicine , hyponatremia , mannitol , saline , insulin , psychiatry , chemistry , organic chemistry
Hypertonic saline (HS) is being increasingly used for the management of a variety of conditions, most notably raised intracranial pressure. This article reviews the available evidence on HS solutions as they relate to emergency medicine, and develops a set of recommendations for its use. To conclude, HS is recommended as an alternative to mannitol for treating raised intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury. HS is also recommended for treating severe and symptomatic hyponatremia, and is worth considering for both recalcitrant tricyclic antidepressant toxicity and for cerebral oedema complicating paediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. HS is not recommended for hypovolaemic resuscitation.