Adverse Effects of Fluid Therapy

The potential adverse effects of fluid therapy, says Deborah Silverstein, DVM, DACVECC, associate professor of critical care at the University of Pennsylvania, are numerous, and there are some effects that we may not even know.

Adverse effects of fluid therapy range from highly treatable effects such as hypothermia; to more dangerous effects such as changes in coagulation, acid base, or electrolyte levels; to potentially life-threatening effects such as pulmonary edema when the lungs fill with fluids.