This article was a randomized controlled trial that explored the effects of rate of administration and content of sodium chloride in the IV fluids that were used to treat children with DKA. The children were between 0-18 years of age and had a diagnosis of DKA. There were four treatment groups: fast rehydration with 0.45% or 0.9% sodium chloride, and then slow rehydration with 0.45% or 0.9% sodium chloride. Primary outcomes included mental status, measured by the GCS at enrollment and hourly after treatment. Secondary outcomes were memory impairment and IQ. It was found that there were no significant differences in the GCS of the treatment groups. However, it was found that the groups receiving rapid rehydration showed the lowest rates of decline and injury, but the results were not significant. This suggests that rapid fluid administration might lead to faster improvement for those with DKA. This challenges what is currently known about how fast administration of fluids can cause brain injury, such as cerebral edema. It was concluded that neither the rate of administration nor the sodium chloride content of IV fluids significantly impacted neurologic outcomes in children with DKA.

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