Have you ever encountered an ESRD patient who missed dialysis because the patient "felt too sick to go to dialysis"? The patient then had hypotension from an infected catheter line? Do we give 30 ml/kg of balanced fluid now?

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Title: Outcomes of CMS-mandated ?uid administration among ?uid-overloaded patients with sepsis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

 

Settings: This is a meta-analysis

Patients: Septic patients who have underlying fluid overload conditions (CHF or ESRD).

Intervention: intravenous fluid administration according to the mandate by the Center for Medicare/Medicaid as 30 ml per kilograms of bodyweight.

Comparison: fluid administration at less than 30 ml/kg of body weight.

Outcome: 30-day mortality, rates of vasopressor requirement, rates of invasive mechanical ventilation

Study Results:

• Random-effects meta-analysis of 5 studies, including 5804 patients.  There were 5260 (91%) patients receiving non-aggressive IVF at < 30 ml/kg versus 544 (9%) patients received aggressive IVF at rates > 30 ml/kg.
• Patients who received aggressive IVF > 30 ml/kg were associated with 30-day all-cause mortality OR 1.42 (95% CI 0.88-2.3, P = 0.15, I² =35%).
• The need for vasopressor during stay was similar: OR 0.69 (95%CI 0.42-1.15, P=0.21, I² = 33%)
• The need for invasive mechanical ventilation during hospitalization was similar: OR 0.85 (95% CI 0.57-1.26, P = 0.42, I² = 0)
• Both groups had similar ICU length of stay: Standard Difference in Means -0.002 (Very small magnitude), 95% CI -0.35 to 0.34, P= 0.99, I² = 53)
• Similar hospital length of stay: Standard Difference in means -0.11 (small magnitude), 95% CI -0.62 to 0.38), P= 0.67, I²=77%

 

Discussion:

• All studies were retrospective studies, as it’s hard to do RCT when the treatment is required by guidelines.  Although the studies were graded as high quality but there was still risk of bias.
• Until there is significant evidence to change the guidelines, please document thoroughly in your charts if you do not give sepsis patients who have fluid overload the required volume of IVF at 30 ml/kg.
• Consider early vasopressor.

Conclusion:

• Patients who have fluid overload and sepsis had similar outcomes when they were given IVF at rates < 30 ml/kg, compared to those given IVF > 30 ml/kg as required by CMS.

References

Pence M, Tran QK, Shesser R, Payette C, Pourmand A. Outcomes of CMS-mandated fluid administration among fluid-overloaded patients with sepsis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Emerg Med. 2022 May;55:157-166. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2022.03.004. Epub 2022 Mar 10. PMID: 35338881.