Grant: Project Grant

Severe infection can lead to many complications within the human body including low blood pressure, which is called septic shock. Rates of death for those with septic shock can be as high as 40%. The main treatments for septic shock are intravenous antibiotics and intravenous (IV) fluids. There are many different intravenous fluids available for doctors to use. Each one of these fluids has potential advantages as well as potential disadvantages. Some preliminary and limited research in the field has suggested that one specific electrolyte, called chloride, may be harmful when given to patients in high concentrations. Some intravenous fluids have higher concentrations of chloride than others. One high chloride fluid, called Normal Saline, remains the most widely used intravenous fluid worldwide. It is unlikely that clinical practice will change until a large-scale study examining outcomes that are important to patients is performed. The investigators plan to study the impact of giving patients with septic shock intravenous fluids with either a high chloride concentration or a low chloride concentration. If there is benefit seen using low chloride concentration fluids this would be easy to initiate across the world leading to a dramatic and relatively inexpensive improvement in patient care.