ABSTRACT
Assessing fluid balance and prescribing appropriate fluid is an important daily task for surgeons; as the registrar, it will be often be your responsibility to ensure that this is carried out safely and accurately. In many surgical patients, the process becomes potentially complex because of multiple sources of fluid loss and several types of fluid input. However, with a logical approach and a clear understanding of a few basics, even complex cases can be dealt with. Conversely, poor prescribing remains a common cause of avoidable morbidity and mortality, either from inadequate resuscitation of the critically ill or excessive provision of fluids to elective patients.
