An Audit of Maintenance Intravenous Fluid Therapy in the Paediatric General Wards at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta

Intravenous fluids are one of the most frequently prescribed drugs in hospital, and yet the practice continues to fall short of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Paediatric patients are particularly vulnerable to complications of intravenous fluid therapy. We compare current practice in intravenous fluid prescription in the paediatric general wards at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, to the standard as stipulated by the NICE guidelines. We show how standards of intravenous fluid prescription and subsequent monitoring by staff falls shorts of NICE guidelines, and make recommendations for improvement. Interventions were made to make staff aware of ongoing issues. A second audit cycle is ongoing.