 In Canada, the main crystalloid fluids used for resuscitation are normal saline and ringers lactate; the main colloid fluids used for resuscitation are hydroxyethyl starches HES and albumin. Until recently, no randomized controlled RCT or systematic review had confirmed benefit or harm with either colloidal or crystalloid fluids in this patient population. An RCT published in 2008 demonstrated that 10 pentastarch HES fluid causes acute renal failure defined by the requirement for renal replacement therapy. In contrast, a subgroup analysis from a RCT of severe sepsis suggests that 4 albumin fluid may reduce death. However, these hypothesis-generating findings require confirmation in the context of a large RCT. 