Aim: The goal of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature assessing the use of colloids for the initial treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock in pediatric patients.
Design: The PICO [Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome] method was used for the selection of studies, and the Cochrane Bias Tool was used to analyze the quality of the selected studies.
Data search: Relevant studies were sought using the following databases: EMBASE (1980 to March 2014), PubMed (1970 to March 2014), Cochrane (1980 to March 2014), Web of Science, and Scopus. Searches used the following key words: isotonic solution, crystalloid, saline solution, colloid, resuscitation, fluid therapy, sepsis and septic shock, starch, and gelatin. The filters children and clinical trial were used when possible.
Review method: Study selection was performed by 1 examiner. The selected articles were analyzed by 2 examiners who validated the articles according to the Cochrane Bias Tool. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus or by a third examiner.
Result: A total of 110 articles were selected based on the key words. Of these, 99 were excluded because they assessed postoperative follow-up, burn cases, cardiac surgery, or nutritional therapy or were review articles, guidelines, or editorials. One study was included after an analysis of previous reviews. A total of 12 articles were selected for analysis because they were reports of clinical trials conducted with prospective cohorts and they analyzed the use of crystalloids and colloids or colloids only in the initial treatment of severe sepsis or septic shock in children and adolescents. The total number of patients was 4375, and they ranged in age from 2 months to 15 years, with most patients between 5 and 15 years. Five studies assessed patients diagnosed with malaria, 5 assessed patients with dengue shock syndrome, 1 studied febrile diseases, and 1 examined the progression of patients with septic shock caused by various causes.
Conclusions: The studies analyzed did not find evidence to suggest that the use of colloids is superior to crystalloids. In some studies, the fluid volume needed to achieve initial stabilization was smaller in the group given colloids. Crystalloids are the preferred therapeutic option because of their effectiveness, low cost, and wide availability. Colloids may be the first choice in cases of malaria when the central nervous system is affected.