Practical aspects of perioperative fluid therapy in pediatric patients

The specifics of children's age, the requirements during surgical intervention and the postoperative course affect the goals of perioperative fluid therapy. The dilemmas in these circumstances include when to administer intravenous fluid, which solution to choose, how much fluid to administer, and how to administer it to a sick child. In the preoperative period, we assess the child's hydration according to surgical disease, comorbidities, losses due to vomiting, diarrhea, fever and preoperative fasting. The intraoperative period is the most dynamic, when it is necessary to assess the need to administer crystalloids, colloids, blood, or vasopressors to support hemodynamics. Adequate fluid therapy is also essential during the postoperative period and affects the outcome of treatment. Fluid therapy requires hemodynamic monitoring as well as assessing acid-base balance.