HomeNewsMore accurate prediction possible on which IC patient benefits from fluid administration

More accurate prediction possible on which IC patient benefits from fluid administration Doctoral research Benno Lansdorp

Administering extra fluids to IC patients with a disrupted blood circulation can improve the oxygen supply of tissues and organs. However, in some of the patients it can actually lead to all manner of harmful consequences and, in the worst case scenario, can even lead to the death of the patient. Benno Lansdorp investigated how to better predict which groups of patients will or will not benefit from additional fluids. Amongst other things, he showed that with about fifteen percent of the patients, you can already very accurately predict whether administering additional fluids is desirable or not. He will defend his doctoral thesis at the University of Twente on 27 June. 

Many patients in Intensive Care have a disrupted blood circulation, as a result of which the oxygen supply of tissues and organs can become endangered. The first step in treatment is administering additional fluids, enabling the heart to pump around more blood. However, in about half of the IC patients, administration of fluids does not lead to an increase in circulated blood and can actually have harmful consequences. It has been previously established that patients who receive too much fluids are attached to artificial respiration longer and even have an increased chance of death. You will therefore want to be able to predict beforehand which patient will respond favourably to fluid administration, and which patient will not. However, in practice it is not exactly simple to predict this. 

Fifteen percent

In his doctoral research at the University of Twente, which he performed at the Radboud UMC (University Medical Center), Benno Lansdorp investigated how to better determine beforehand to which of these groups an individual patient belongs. As the most important parameter, he performed research into the variations in blood pressure that arise from applying artificial respiration to the patient. Amongst other things, Lansdorp showed that in about fifteen percent of the patients, you would be able to very accurately predict whether a patient would respond well or not. Additionally, due to Lansdorp's research the accuracy of the prediction can be improved for a large group of patients. In his doctoral research Lansdorp also established that good predictions can also be made with the aid of a tool that measures blood pressure on the finger, which simplifies the measurement and improves its accessibility. 

Research

Benno Lansdorp, MSc, performed his doctoral research (which falls under the Clinical Neurophysiology (CNPH) department of UT research institute MIRA) at the Radboud UMC. In his research, Lansdorp was under the supervision of Prof. dr. ir. Michel van Putten (University of Twente) and Prof. dr. Hans van der Hoeven & Prof. dr. Peter Pickkers (both of the Radboud UMC). The research has partly been made possible by the UT educational programme Technical Medicine. 

Note for the press

Lansdorp will defend his doctoral thesis on 27 June at 16:45 in lecture room 4 of the Waaier building, on the University of Twente campus. For more information, interview requests or a digital version of the doctoral thesis 'Predicting fluid responsiveness in ICU patients; from physiology to bedside contact UT Science Information Officer Joost Bruysters (+31 (0)6 1048 8228).