Association between fluid balance and mortality for heart failure and sepsis: a propensity score-matching analysis

Fluid resuscitation is necessary to correct the sepsis-induced hypoperfusion, which is contradictory to the treatment of heart failure. This study explored the association between fluid balance (FB) of the first 24 h after ICU admission and mortality in critically ill patients with heart failure and sepsis.

Data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database. The locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (Lowess) method was used to demonstrate the relationship between FB and in-hospital mortality. Groups were divided into high FB (≥ 55.85 ml/kg) and low FB (< 55.85 ml/kg) according to the cut-off value of FB using Receiver operating characteristic analysis and Youden index method. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Subgroup analyses, multivariable logistic regression analyses, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to detect the association and survival difference between groups. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to minimize the bias of confounding factors and facilitate the comparability between groups.

A total of 936 patients were included. The Lowess curve showed an approximate positive linear relationship for FB and in-hospital mortality. In the multivariable logistic regression adjusted model, high FB showed strong associations with in-hospital mortality (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.60-3.99, p < 0.001) as compared to the low FB group. In IPTW and PSM models, high FB consistently showed higher in-hospital mortality (IPTW model: OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.52-2.49, p < 0.001; PSM model: OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.75-4.90, p < 0.001) and 30-day mortality (IPTW model: OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.29-2.10, p < 0.001; PSM model: OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.51-4.15, p < 0.001), compared with the low FB group.

For critically ill patients with heart failure and sepsis, high FB within the first 24 h after ICU admission could serve as an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality. The avoidance of fluid overload exerts important effects on reducing mortality in such patients.