Less Intraoperative Crystalloid Fluid Not Tied to Worse Surgical Outcomes

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Substantially reduced intraoperative crystalloid fluid administration is not associated with worse patient-centered surgical outcomes, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in JAMA Network Open.

Noah Hopstein, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and colleagues examined the clinical consequences of the intravenous fluid shortage in 2024 that resulted in substantially reduced intraoperative crystalloid administration. The analysis compared outcomes between 12,026 elective surgical patients before and 26,950 during implementation of a fluid reduction bundle.

The researchers found that the implementation of the fluid reduction bundle was associated with a 75.2 percent lower intraoperative crystalloid administration (adjusted exponentiated β coefficient [eβ], 0.25). The fluid reduction bundle was associated with lower urine output (adjusted eβ, 0.91), reduced urinary catheter utilization (adjusted relative risk, 0.87), and fewer hospital readmissions (adjusted relative risk, 0.82). No meaningful differences were seen for intraoperative hypotension, postoperative acute kidney injury, or costs of care.

“Our study demonstrates how a health system can respond rapidly to a national supply crisis in an innovative fashion while maintaining patient safety,” co-author Matthias Eikermann, M.D., also from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said in a statement. “We look forward to doing further research that may help to inform best practices in intraoperative fluid usage across the country.”

Abstract/Full Text