Systematic review and meta-analysis finds newer hydroxyethyl starch to be of no overall clinical benefit in sepsis

Source: British Medical Journal (BMJ) Area: News According to the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis, treatment of sepsis with newer hydroxyethyl starches increases the risk of having renal replacement therapy, red blood cell transfusion, and severe adverse reactions when compared to crystalloids or human albumin, and is therefore unlikely to be of benefit for this patient group.   The authors note that colloids are used more often than crystalloids for resuscitation in the intensive care unit (ICU). Although the choice of colloid varies between countries, hydroxyethyl starch is most commonly used worldwide. The former hydroxyethyl starch was of a higher molecular weight (molecular weight of 200 kDa and substitution ratios of 0.5-0.6) and was found to cause kidney injury. Although newer starches (molecular weights of 130 kDa and substitution ratios ranging from 0.38 to 0.45) are claimed to be safer, data to support this claim are insufficient. Due to the recent publication of three large trials comparing ...
Source: NeLM - News - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news