Routine Use Of 0.9% Saline Vs. Routine Use Of Plasma-Lyte 148 (Registered Trademark) For Intravenous Fluid Therapy In Emergency Department Patients

This will be an audit to provide preliminary data to address whether the use of Plasma-Lyte148 'Registered Trademark' as default intravenous fluid results in better clinical outcomes compared to current standard practice. The audit will be conducted with two 12 week periods. During the control period patients admitted to Wellington Regional Hospital from ED would have received intravenous fluid at the discretion of the treating doctors, in which 0.9% saline would have been the preferred intravenous fluid. This will be compared a 12 weeks where the preferred fluid will be Plasma-Lyte148 'Registered Trademark'. The outcomes that will be recorded will be kidney function, hospital length of stay, intensive care admission and mortality.