Abstract
Management of intravenous fluid therapy has been part of clinical practice for more than 180 years. During that time, the development of fluid composition, the procedures for their application and the understanding of the respective physiology went through many milestones.
Even nowadays, the evolution is not over. Further research should aim to fill in the gaps of knowledge on this issue, to verify current findings and to optimize prescription in the treatment of specific groups of critically ill patients.
It will be crucial, to find credible evidence for optimal composition, dose, and timing of fluid therapy in intensive care. In this review article, we focus on the key lessons in the history of fluid therapy to enlighten the readers with the development of fluid therapy, prescribing practices, and the impact of recent findings on the conceptual changes in the management of fluid therapy in the critically ill.