INTRODUCTION: The pathognomonic feature of dengue shock syndrome (DSS) is a transient capillary leak syndrome resulting in profound intravascular volume depletion. WHO management guidelines recommend particular parenteral fluid regimens during the critical leakage phase, including synthetic colloid solutions in certain circumstances. We set out to describe the actual fluid management strategies employed in different settings and to investigate relationships with clinical outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of paediatric DSS cases managed at seven hospitals across Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. We explored the effects of both initial resuscitation (crystalloid alone or mixed crystalloid/colloid in the first 2 hours) and general management: group 1 (conservative-colloid, crystalloid only), group 2 (intermediate-colloid, colloid for 1-4 hours) or group 3 (liberal-colloid, continuous colloid for more than 4 hours) categorised according to the fluid given over the first 6 hours in clinically stable patients. We incorporated an inverse probability weighting score to adjust for potential differences in baseline severity. RESULTS: Among all 691 patients, respiratory compromise (HR 2.08, p=0.022), requirement for nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP)/ventilation (OR 2.34, p<
0.045) and days in hospital after DSS onset (risk ratio, RR 1.33, p=0.032) were significantly worse for mixed crystalloid/colloid versus crystalloid-only initial resuscitation regimens, after adjusting for baseline severity. Among the 547/691 children who stabilised within 2 hours, although a liberal-colloid general management strategy (group 3) was associated with a reduction in recurrent shock episodes (RR 0.13, p=0.043) when compared with a conservative-colloid strategy (group 1), the risks for respiratory compromise (OR 8.84, p<
0.001) and requirement for NCPAP/ventilation (OR 8.16, p<
0.001) were markedly increased. Additionally, the respective costs for group 3 vs group 1 were significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the potential benefits and risks of using colloid solutions in children with DSS. Formal randomised trials could help determine the most effective and safe parenteral fluid regimens for paediatric DSS. In the meantime, prolonged use of colloid solutions may be inappropriate, especially in settings without access to respiratory support.