FDA Safety Alert: hydroxyethyl starch products should not be used unless adequate alternative treatment is unavailable.

Labeling Changes on mortality, kidney injury, and excess bleeding with hydroxyethyl starch products – U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Commentary: FDA Piles on New Warnings for Blood Volume Expanders – MedPage Today (free registration required)

Related: Hydroxyethyl-starch Solutions (HES) Should no Longer be Used – European Medicines Agency AND Randomized Trial: Hydroxyethyl Starch vs. Saline for Volume Replacement Therapy in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery AND Systematic Review: Colloids vs Crystalloids for Fluid Resuscitation in Critically Ill People