A Study to Compare Ultrasound-guided and Clinically Guided Fluid Management in Children with Septic Shock.

Background: To evaluate the role of ultrasound during initial fluid resuscitation along with clinical guidance in reducing the incidence of fluid overload on day 3 in children with septic shock. Materials and methods: It was a prospective, parallel limb open-labeled randomized controlled superiority trial done in the PICU of a government-aided tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Patient enrolment took place between June 2021 and March 2022. Fifty-six children aged between 1 month and 12 years, with proven or suspected septic shock, were randomized to receive either ultrasound-guided or clinically guided fluid boluses (1:1 ratio) and subsequently followed up for various outcomes. The primary outcome was frequency of fluid overload on day 3 of admission. The treatment group received ultrasound-guided fluid boluses along with the clinical guidance and the control group received the same but without ultrasound guidance upto 60 mL/kg of fluid boluses. Results: The frequency of fluid overload on day 3 of admission was significantly lower in the ultrasound group (25% vs 62%, Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided fluid boluses were found to be significantly better than clinically guided therapy, in preventing fluid overload and its associated complications in children with septic shock. These factors make ultrasound a potentially useful tool for resuscitation of children with septic shock in the PICU. How to cite this article: Kaiser RS, Sarkar M, Raut SK, Mahapatra MK, Uz Zaman MA, Roy O,