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Active, not recruitingNCT01680770Updated Aug 17, 2025

Use of Ultrasonography to Determine Fluid-responsiveness for Shock in a Population of Intensive Care Unit Patients

An observational study in Hypotension, sponsored by University of Chicago. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-08-17.

Sponsored by University of Chicago · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
124
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The objective of our study is to determine the correlation of transthoracic ultrasonographic indices of fluid responsiveness to changes in direct measures of cardiac output and to compare them to other established predictors of fluid responsiveness such as central venous pressure variation, systolic arterial pressure variation and pulse pressure variation in a broad population of patients.

Hypothesis: There will be a significant difference in the inferior vena cava respiratory variation and subclavian vein respiratory variation between responders and non-responders to intravenous fluid challenge in a broad population of patients with shock.

Read the detailed description

Shock is a common occurrence in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the management of this condition frequently requires the administration of intravenous fluids (IVF). Multiple studies have shown that only about 50% of these patients will respond to fluids. The ability to predict which patients will respond is an important tool for clinicians to treat shock while avoiding unnecessary fluid administration in those who are unlikely to respond. This is essential to avoid the adverse effects of fluid loading that can occur.

A number of studies have attempted to determine predictors of volume-responsiveness through various methods, including the use of ultrasonography performed by intensivists, anesthesiologists and emergency medicine physicians. The currently published studies establish predictors of fluid-responsiveness in their populations. However, there has been large variability in the study designs, making it difficult to compare different modalities.

The objective of our study is to determine the correlation of transthoracic ultrasonographic indices of fluid responsiveness to changes in direct measures of cardiac output and to compare them to other established predictors of fluid responsiveness such as central venous pressure variation, systolic arterial pressure variation and pulse pressure variation. Furthermore, we wish to include a broad range of patients with different types of shock in order to determine the generalized applicability of these indices. Additionally, reported success of intensivist-obtained echocardiographic images varies widely in the literature, but most studies do not report which views are most accessible. We plan to study prospectively which views are obtainable and correlate them to patient characteristics.

This would potentially establish echocardiography by an intensivist as a widely applicable, non-invasive, and easily accessible method for determining fluid-responsiveness in a patient with shock. Achievement of this goal would allow clinicians to quickly identify those patients that would respond to fluids and at the same time minimize the administration of fluids to those in whom it is unlikely to benefit.

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Conditions studied

  • Hypotension

Keywords

  • shock
  • transthoracic echocardiography
  • critical care
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In context

Hypotension

1,003 studies on the registry are indexed under Hypotension; 173 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 124 is above the median of 84 across 294 observational studies indexed under Hypotension.

Browse Hypotension studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Chicago is the lead sponsor of 907 studies on the registry; 182 are open to participants now.

Of its 99 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 68 (69%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Adult Intensive Care Unit Patients

Inclusion criteria

  1. Adult patients (> 18 years old) admitted to the intensive care unit.
  2. Decision by clinicians to give intravenous fluids for volume expansion.
  3. Decision by clinicians to obtain central venous access.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients with known chronic right heart failure syndromes.
  2. Patients with terminal conditions in whom aggressive care will not be pursued.
  3. Patients with a history of left bundle branch block.
  4. Patients will not be excluded on the basis of sex, race, or ethnicity.
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
124 participants (estimated)

Groups and cohorts

  • Hypotensive patients in shock
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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Fluid Responder vs. Non-responder

    Patients will be divided into responder and non-responder groups based on an increase in cardiac output of greater than or equal to 15% as measured by thermodilution from a right heart catheter in response to a one liter normal saline fluid bolus.

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Inferior vena cava diameter and respiratory variation

    pre-fluid Inferior vena cava diameter and Inferior vena cava respiratory variations will be correlated to fluid responsiveness

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

  2. subclavian vein diameter and respiratory variation

    pre-fluid subclavian diameter and subclavian respiratory variations will be correlated to fluid responsiveness

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

  3. pulse pressure variation

    pre-fluid pulse pressure variation will be correlated to fluid responsiveness

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

  4. central venous pressure (CVP) and CVP respiratory variation

    pre-fluid CVP and CVP respiratory variations will be correlated to fluid responsiveness

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

  5. pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and respiratory variations of PCWP

    pre-fluid PCWP and PCWP respiratory variations will be correlated to fluid responsiveness

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

  6. Possible views of echocardiogram

    Determine percentage of which echocardiographic views are obtainable in a broad population of patients with shock and correlate to patient characteristics

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

  7. Concurrence with cardiologist interpretation

    Determine the rate at which cardiologist concurs with intensivist interpretation of echocardiographic images.

    Time frame: pre-fluid challenge baseline and post-fluid challenge (approximately 1 hour)

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Study locations

1 site
  • The University of Chicago Medical Center
    Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 17, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01680770
Lead sponsor
University of Chicago
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Sep 7, 2012
Start date
Jun 2010
Primary completion
Aug 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 17, 2025

Study contacts

Kress P John, MD
principal investigator · University of Chicago

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Aug 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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