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Use of Plasma-Lyte, a calcium-free crystalloid with an electrolyte profile similar to blood, for the resuscitation of trauma patients has not previously been studied. At a level I trauma center in California, researchers randomized 46 severely injured trauma patients to resuscitation with normal saline or Plasma-Lyte for the initial 24 hours. Patients with life- or limb-threatening injuries who required intubation, blood transfusion, or a surgical or interventional procedure within 60 minutes of emergency department arrival were included. Patients expected to die within 48 hours were excluded. The study was funded by the manufacturer of the study solutions.
The Plasma-Lyte and normal saline groups received similar amounts of crystalloid resu…