[Is there any place for hypertonic saline for fluid resuscitation in septic shock].

Fluid loading is the first step, necessary to care for severe sepsis. Two main classes of solutions are currently available: crystalloids and colloids. The concept of small volume resuscitation with hypertonic saline has emerged these last years in the care of traumatic haemorrhagic shock. The main benefits are the restoration of intravascular volume, improvement of cardiac output and improvement of regional circulations. Many experiments highlight modulation of immune and inflammatory cascades. We report the mechanisms of action of hypertonic saline based on experimental human and animal studies, which advocate its use in septic shock.