The PKIDS (Pediatric Kidney Injury & Disease Stewardship) IVF Calculator app is your guide for calculating the intravenous fluid composition and rate in dehydrated pediatric patients (between 2 months-18 years of age).
First, assess your patient’s volume status and estimate their % dehydration. Then, input the current serum sodium level and report the composition and volume of fluids administered since that blood was drawn. Boluses can be reported in terms of Normal Saline, Lactated ringer’s or PlasmaLyte. The calculator utilizes the current sodium input to estimate an initial intravenous fluid prescription based on hyponatremic, isonatremic, or hypernatremic fluid calculations. Of note, all fluid calculations are estimates only and meant to guide the clinician rather than substitute for the provider’s clinical assessment and plan. Patient monitoring should also be in place, including routine assessment of volume status, laboratory reassessment, clinical status. Patients who are actively seizing, or who have acute or chronic kidney disease, heart disease, liver dysfunction or endocrinological diseases (including the syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone) should be excluded.