The 1st Asia-Pacific Advanced Fluid Therapy Conference was held on 17th and 18th April 2009. It is a 2-day event hosted for the very first time in this region at the Le Meridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. This event is jointly organized by Aesculap Academy and endorsed by the Malaysian Society of Anaesthesiologists (MSA). There were over 130 delegates registered from more than ten countries who participated in the conference.
A distinguished line-up of speakers from Germany, Italy, UK and the Asian region were invited to share their experiences, knowledge and expertise in different and unique settings.
The 1st Asia-Pacific Advanced Fluid Therapy Conference aims to provide a perfect balance between clinical education and the latest scientific developments in Fluid Therapy. As there are no Standard Guidelines for Fluid Therapy for Anaesthesiologists in Asia, Aesculap Academy and B. Braun hope to work together to create a platform starting from this Forum to formulate some guidelines of Fluid Therapy in Asia.
17th April also marked B. Braun’s launching of its new generation of Balanced Fluids. B. Braun Malaysia is one of the first countries in Asia to offer this complete range of fluids to meet a wider range of indications, patients’ requirements and more importantly, focus on patient safety.
The clinicians from the European continent shared their views and experiences on these new balanced fluids that have been available in their region since the last few years. Clinical evidence indicating that the balanced fluids are more beneficial and safer compared to unbalanced (saline-based) solutions were also presented.
The European clinicians were of the opinion that the use of the conventional but most widely used crystalloid, normal saline should be discouraged due to its un-physiological electrolyte profile. Normal saline should be rightfully dubbed “abnormal” saline due to the high chloride content that may lead to hyperchloraemic acidosis and derangement of the patient’s acid-base balance. Additionally, frequently used solutions like Hartmann’s or Ringer’s lactate also pose some limitations due to the lactate content, especially in patients with hepatic dysfunction and were furthermore hypotonic solutions. The European clinicians strongly encouraged the use of the new balanced fluids now that these fluids are available in Asia.