Perioperative intravenous fluid management in paediatric surgery: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION: Intravenous fluids are essential components of perioperative care, supporting intravascular volume, acid-base balance and electrolyte homeostasis. Despite extensive research in adult surgical populations, paediatric-specific evidence remains limited, and clinical practice frequently relies on extrapolated adult-based recommendations. This gap is particularly relevant in paediatric non-cardiac surgery, where fluid choice may influence key physiological outcomes such as acid-base status, electrolyte balance, renal function and haemodynamic stability. Given the heterogeneity of study designs, perioperative phases, age groups and reported outcomes in the paediatric literature, a comprehensive synthesis of the existing evidence is needed before a systematic review can be undertaken. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct this scoping review following the methodological guidance of the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis, and the reporting will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guideline.This scoping review will map existing evidence on perioperative intravenous fluid management in paediatric patients (