Goal-directed fluid therapy based on noninvasive cardiac output monitor reduces postoperative complications in elderly patients after gastrointestinal surgery: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: Goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) was associated with improved outcomes after surgery. Noninvasive Cardiac Output Monitoring (NICOM) has proved to be a good choice for guiding GDFT. This study evaluated the effect of GDFT based on NICOM on prognosis in elderly patients undergoing resection of gastrointestinal tumor.

Methods: Fifty patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic radical resection for stomach, colon or rectal cancer in Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between November 2014 and December 2015 were included and randomly divided into two groups: conventional fluid therapy (group C, n=25) and goal-directed fluid therapy (group G, n=25). The primary outcome was moderate or severe postoperative complications within 30 days.

Results: Finally, 45 patients successfully completed the study (group G, n=22; group C, n=23). There were no difference of the duration of surgery, the requirement of vasoactive agents and the bleeding volume between two groups (P>0.05). Total fluids infused were 2956±629 ml (group C) and 2259±454 ml (group G) (P<0.05), while the requirement of colloid was increased in group G (1103±285ml vs 855±226ml) (P<0.05). The MAP and the mean CI were higher in group G (P<0.05). Compared with group C, the time when the patients passed the flatus and the length of hospital stay after operation were shortened in group G (12.6±2.4 day vs17.2±2.6 day), the incidence of postoperative complications were significantly lower in group G (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Goal-directed fluid therapy based on NICOM was significantly associated with improvement of prognosis in elderly patients undergoing resection of gastrointestinal tumor which reduced postoperative complications.