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. 1994 Mar;70(821):195–197. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.70.821.195

A comparison of intravenous and subcutaneous hydration in elderly acute stroke patients.

Y C Challiner 1, D Jarrett 1, M J Hayward 1, M A al-Jubouri 1, S A Julious 1
PMCID: PMC2397852  PMID: 8183752

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of subcutaneous and intravenous fluid therapy in hydrating, elderly acute stroke patients. Thirty-four such patients, needing parenteral fluids because of impaired consciousness or dysphagia, were randomly allocated to receive either subcutaneous or intravenous fluids (2 litres of dextrose-saline/24 hours). Serum osmolality was measured before starting fluid therapy (Day 1) and on Days 2 and 3. An analysis of covariance of the osmolalities showed no statistical difference between the two groups (P = 0.12). The total cost of cannulae used over the 3 days for the subcutaneous route was approximately a third of that for the intravenous route. Complication rates were similar for the two groups. The results suggest that subcutaneous fluid therapy is an effective alternative to the intravenous route.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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