3 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
In the critically ill population, fluid administration in an unstable patient is perhaps the most common intervention that is performed. Uncorrected hypovolemia with inappropriate vasopressors lead to organ hypoperfusion where as overzealous fluid administration especially in ARDS (Adult respiratory distress syndrome) can increase mortality. It has been estimated that only 50% of hemodynamically unstable critically ill patients are volume responsive, hence dynamic assessment of preload responsiveness has been proposed to better identify those individuals who would benefit from fluid bolus.
Difficulties in the accurate assessment of intravascular volume in critically ill patients are frequently encountered. In addition to clinical evaluation, bedside echocardiographic measurements of fluid responsiveness can be technically difficult, especially in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. The carotid artery is an easily accessible structure that is amenable to bedside ultrasonography performed by Intensivists. The investigators hypothesize that measurement of the carotid artery Corrected Flow Time (FTC) in response to a passive leg raise (PLR), which simulates a fluid bolus, can be used to predict fluid responsiveness.
The purpose of this study is to understand and document measurements in heart stroke volume (the volume or amount of blood pumped per heart beat) and cardiac output (the volume or amount of blood pumped by your heart per minute) during a passive leg raise maneuver (elevation of the legs), and to determine if these measurements can predict changes in the same as a result of fluid or blood product administration.