Randomized controlled trial to investigate influence of the fluid challenge on duration of hospital stay and perioperative morbidity in patients with hip fractures

Background. A prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing conventional intraoperative fluid management with two differing methods of invasive haemodynamic monitoring to optimize intraoperative fluid therapy, in patients undergoing proximal femoral fracture repair under general anaesthesia. Methods. Ninety patients randomized to three groups; conventional intraoperative fluid management (Gp CON, n=29), and two groups receiving additional repeated colloid fluid challenges guided by central venous pressure (Gp CVP, n=31) or oesophageal Doppler ultrasonography (Gp DOP, n=30). Primary outcome measures were time to medical fitness to discharge, hospital stay and postoperative morbidity. Results. The fluid challenge resulted in significantly greater perioperative changes in central venous pressure between Gp CVP and Gp CON (mean 5 (95% confidence interval 3–7) mm Hg) (P