Objective: The objectives of this study are to determine what is the minimal volume required to perform an effective fluid challenge (FC) and to investigate how different doses of intravenous fluids in a FC affect the changes in cardiac output and the proportion of responders and non-responders.Design: quasi-randomised controlled trial.
Setting: Cardiothoracic intensive care unit, tertiary university hospitalPatients: 80 Post-cardiac surgery patients.Intervention: intravenous infusion of 1, 2, 3 or 4 mL/Kg (body weight) of crystalloid over 5 minutes.Measurements: Mean systemic filling pressure measured using the transient stop-flow arm arterial-venous equilibrium pressure (Pmsf-arm), arterial and central venous pressure (CVP), cardiac output (CO; LiDCOplus, LiDCO, Cambridge, UK) and heart rate.
Results:The groups were well matched with respect to demographic and baseline physiological variables.The proportion of responders increased from 20% in the group of 1mL/kg to 65% in the group of 4 mL/kg (p = 0.04). The predicted minimal volume required for a FC was between 321 to 509 mL. Only 4 mL/Kg increase Pmsf-arm beyond the limits of precision and was significantly associated with a positive response (OR 7.73, 95% CI 1.78 to 31.04).
Conclusion:The doses of fluids used for a FC modify the proportions of responders in postoperative patients. A dose of 4 ml/Kg increases Pmsf-arm and reliably detects responders and non-responders.