Association between early cumulative fluid balance and successful liberation from invasive ventilation in COVID-19 ARDS patients — insights from the PRoVENT-COVID study: a national, multicenter, observational cohort analysis

Sanchit Ahuja, Harm Jan de Grooth, Frederique Paulus, Fleur L. van der Ven, Ary Serpa Neto, M. J. Schultz, Pieter R. Tuinman, PRoVENT-COVID Study Collaborative Group* ‘PRactice of VENTilation in COVID–19’

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10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Increasing evidence indicates the potential benefits of restricted fluid management in critically ill patients. Evidence lacks on the optimal fluid management strategy for invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients. We hypothesized that the cumulative fluid balance would affect the successful liberation of invasive ventilation in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods: We analyzed data from the multicenter observational ‘PRactice of VENTilation in COVID-19 patients’ study. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 and ARDS who required invasive ventilation during the first 3 months of the international outbreak (March 1, 2020, to June 2020) across 22 hospitals in the Netherlands were included. The primary outcome was successful liberation of invasive ventilation, modeled as a function of day 3 cumulative fluid balance using Cox proportional hazards models, using the crude and the adjusted association. Sensitivity analyses without missing data and modeling ARDS severity were performed. Results: Among 650 patients, three groups were identified. Patients in the higher, intermediate, and lower groups had a median cumulative fluid balance of 1.98 L (1.27–7.72 L), 0.78 L (0.26–1.27 L), and − 0.35 L (− 6.52–0.26 L), respectively. Higher day 3 cumulative fluid balance was significantly associated with a lower probability of successful ventilation liberation (adjusted hazard ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.77–0.95, P = 0.0047). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results. Conclusions: In a cohort of invasively ventilated patients with COVID-19 and ARDS, a higher cumulative fluid balance was associated with a longer ventilation duration, indicating that restricted fluid management in these patients may be beneficial. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04346342); Date of registration: April 15, 2020. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Original languageEnglish
Article number157
Number of pages12
JournalCritical Care
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022

Keywords

  • ARDS
  • COVID-19
  • Critical care
  • Cumulative fluid balance
  • Liberation of ventilation

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