Salt Based or BaLanced SolUtion--Trends Existing in Indian Intensive Care Units: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Cohort Study (SOLUTE Study).

Introduction: Fluid administration is a commonly practiced intervention in the intensive care unit (ICU) with normal saline being the preferred fluid. We sought to understand the current practice of fluid administration and choice of fluids in Indian ICUs and its effect on renal outcomes. Materials and methods: The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM)-endorsed multicenter prospective observational study was conducted on practice of fluid administration in critically ill patients between May 1, 2020, and January 31, 2023. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Private sector hospitals contributed 79.16% of data out of 144 ICUs. Around 961 patients belonged to the normal saline (NS) group, 672 to the Ringer's lactate (RL) group, and 891 to the balanced salt solution (BSS) group out of 2,452 patients. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were more in the BSS and NS group as compared to RL group (p < 0.00001). Acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence was higher in the NS group, followed by RL and BSS (p < 0.0001). The serum creatinine rise was higher in the NS group on the first 2 days (p < 0.001). Daily fluid balance, urine output, and renal replacement therapy (RRT) needs were similar among the groups. The BSS group had shorter ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS) than the NS group (p < 0.001). The ICU survival was 63.3% in the NS group and 79.44% in the BSS group (p < 0.001). The AKI patients had higher survival in the BSS group (78.81%) as compared to the NS group (63.08%) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Balanced salt solution is the preferred intravenous fluid with a safe renal profile among critically ill patients. The AKI patients had shorter hospital and ICU LOS with BSS as compared to NS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]