Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Bicarbonate and Other Buffer Therapies in Acute Metabolic Acidosis: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors' conclusion
Buffering therapy in ICU patients with acute kidney injury likely has beneficial effects on the use of renal replacement therapy, but probably no effect on survival outcomes. Similarly, no effects were found for survival outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with acute metabolic acidosis (mostly critically ill, OHCA or intraoperative acidosis)14 trials
- Comparison
- Buffering therapy vs placebo, no buffering therapy, or another buffering therapy
- Outcome
- Clinical outcomes (survival outcomes)
Methodological detailsfixed-effect models, Cochrane Risk of bias 2 tool, GRADE, Risk of bias moderate for most trials
- Fixed-effect models
- Cochrane Risk of bias 2 tool
- GRADE
- Risk of bias moderate for most trials
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Survival outcomes
- ICU patients with AKI: buffering therapy probably no large effect on survival (low certainty)
- OHCA: buffering therapy likely no effect on survival (very low to low certainty)
Further pooled results
RRT use and bloodstream infections (ICU patients with AKI)
- Buffering therapy likely reduces RRT use and bloodstream infection rate (moderate certainty)
Original publication
Bicarbonate and Other Buffer Therapies in Acute Metabolic Acidosis: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. Published 10 March 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →