Randomized Prospective Clinical Trial Comparing Room Temperature and Warmed Intravenous Fluid Boluses on Pediatric Patients' Comfort

A common complaint among pediatric patients receiving an intravenous (IV) fluid bolus is that their arm feels cold and uncomfortable. The purpose of this study is to test if administering warmed IV fluids, as compared to room temperature IV fluids, results in increased comfort among pediatric patients seeking care in an emergency department. A blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted and 126 pediatric patients were enrolled. Each patient's overall comfort, arm comfort, and arm temperature were measured prior to IV fluid administration, 15minutes after the beginning of the infusion, and at the end of the 60-minute infusion. After the first 15minutes of IV fluid administration, the patients who received warmed IV fluids reported higher comfort than the patients who received room temperature IV fluids, t(118)=2.04, p=0.04. Additionally, patients who received the room temperature IV fluids reported that their arms felt cooler than patients who received the warmed fluids, t(118)=3.25, p=0.0015. Warming IV fluids has the potential to improve the experience of IV bolus administration for pediatric patients. •Arm comfort significantly improved from baseline in warmed IV fluids group.•Patients and study staff rated IV arm to be colder in the room temperature group.•There were no patients who shivered in the warmed IV fluids group.•There were no comments about pain in patients that received warmed fluids.•Warmed fluids can improve the IV fluid bolus experience for pediatric patients.