Association of serum chloride concentration with outcomes in postoperative critically ill patients: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Although chloride is one of the major electrolytes measured routinely in dairy practice, the amount of attention chloride receives in critically ill patients is limited. There are still a few studies reporting the incidence of derangements of chloride and its association with patients' outcomes. Accordingly, we conducted a retrospective study to assess the prevalence of abnormality of serum chloride level in postoperative patients in the intensive care unit on the early phase of surgery and its association with outcome.