Disruption of fluid balance is common in critical illness. Many critical illnesses are inflammatory in nature and associated with capillary leak and swelling of tissues. While fluid administration may be necessary for the immediate resuscitation of a patient in shock, in the long term it may worsen survival and lead to complications. This is especially true in acute respiratory failure, where excess fluid can lead to a longer duration of mechanical ventilation, longer time in the ICU, and a greater need for dialysis. There is also evidence that conservative fluid administration can prevent complications. Fluid overload is associated with increased healthcare resource utilization and cost.~Much of the fluid administered to patients while in the adult ICU in the United States is administered as medications via large volume infusion pumps. This is a descriptive study to gather data on fluid balance, intravenous medication administration, electrolyte balance, and diuretic and dialysis use in patients with acute respiratory failure who might benefit from a strategy designed to limit fluid administration. The information will be used to design an interventional trial of small volume medication infusion.
The specific aim of this study is to gather data on fluid balance, intravenous medication administration, electrolyte balance, and diuretic and dialysis use in patients with acute respiratory failure who might benefit from a strategy designed to limit fluid administration.