Description of fluid therapy in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery in Montevideo, Uruguay July - November 2022

Abstract

There is no consensus or guides about the correct use of fluid therapy in the specific context of cardiac surgeries, current evidence, apart from being scarce, is varied and inconclusive. This study,
descriptive observational, pretends to characterize fluid management in the perioperative periods of cardiac surgery in the cardiac surgery services in Montevideo, Uruguay. To accomplish the
objective, a survey was carried out to the personnel responsible for said treatment including cardiac surgeons, intensivists, cardiologists and anesthesiologists. The scope of the survey was 53
professionals, 22 (41,5%) of them anesthesiologists, 12 (22,6%) intensivists, 10 (18.9%) cardiologists, and 9 (17%) cardiac surgeons. 31 (58,5%) of the respondents intervened mainly intraoperatively, 13 (24.5%) in an intensive care unit (ICU), 6 (11.3%) in intermediate care, and 3 (5.7%) preoperatively. They were asked about their preferred fluid, what they base their choice on, how they evaluate the response to it, and what bibliographic sources they consult. Crystalloids
turned out to be the fluid of choice, professionals in general, point to normovolemia, the factors most considered when defining fluid therapy are nephroprotection, risk of pulmonary edema and
metabolic acidosis; and that clinical practice guidelines are the most consulted source of information.