Introduction:

Positive fluid balance and extravascular lung water index (EVLWi) quantified by transpulmonary thermodilution have been important independent mortality prognostic factors. Including EVLWi to guide initial fluid reanimation therapy has a high impact in the amount of administered fluid. Although there is not enough evidence, search for an association between EVLWi and fluid balance could lead to a negative fluid balance driven by EVLWi to improve survival rates. In this retrospective study we search for the association between EVLWi, fluid balance and its impact on mortality.

Material and methods:

Retrospective, cohort study of 20 cases. We looked for any association between EVLWi by transpulmonary thermodilution and daily fluid balance at 24, 48 and 72 hours and reviewed mortality at 30 days.

Results:

An EVLWi cutoff value of > 11 mL/kg was associated with a higher mortality; on the first 24 hours with an RR 8.0 (95% CI 1.2146-52.6944, p = 0.0306), at 48 hours RR 4.3778 (95% CI 1.1643-15.7177, p = 0.0286) and at 72 hours RR 3.5000 (95% CI 0.9497-12.8983 p = 0.0598). Fluid balance cutoff value was established at ≥ 3.5 L, but we can’t find any association with mortality, RR 0.1789 (95% CI 0.0125-2.5668, p = 0.2054) at 24 hours, RR 0.5000 (95% CI 0.0854-2.9258, p = 0.4419) at 48 hours y RR 0.3750 (95% CI 0.0610-2.3059, p = 0.2897) at 72 hours. The correlation between fluid balance and EVLWi was negative, Pearson’s r (2) = 0.01269.

Conclusions:

EVLWi was associated to a higher mortality. We could not demonstrate an association between fluid balance and EVLWi.