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Usefulness of the fluid balance: a randomised controlled trial in neonates
Jolita Bekhof1, Yvette van Asperen, Paul L P Brand
1Princess Amalia Children's Clinic, Isala Klinieken, Zwolle, The Netherlands. j.bekhof@isala.nl
Aim:
To assess the effects of fluid balance charts in neonates with moderate disease severity on duration of hospitalisation and medical interventions.
Methods:
Randomised, controlled trial in a neonatal ward in a general teaching hospital in the Netherlands between June 2009 and March 2010. One hundred seventy neonates with moderate disease severity, requiring continuous monitoring of vital parameters (mean gestational age 36(+2) weeks (standard deviation 2(+5) days), mean birthweight 2782 g (standard deviation 749 g)) participated. In the control group (n = 86), attending physicians could access all fluid balance data, whilst these data were blacked out in the intervention group (n = 84). Primary outcome was length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes were percentage weight loss, interventions based on the fluid status, unblinding of fluid balance data and incident reporting.
Results:
Length of hospital stay did not differ significantly between the intervention and the control group (median 9 vs. 8 days, with ratio of geometric mean 1.25, 95% confidence interval 0.99 to 1.57; P = 0.06). We found no significant differences in secondary outcomes.
Conclusions:
Routinely keeping fluid balances in neonates with moderate disease severity does not affect duration of hospitalisation or medical treatment.
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