Intraoperative goal-directed fluid management and postoperative brain edema in patients having high-grade gliomas...

Patients with high-grade gliomas often have severe brain edema. Goal-directed fluid management protects neurological function, but whether reduces postoperative brain edema remains unknown.

Patients having elective resection of supratentorial malignant gliomas were randomly assigned to goal-directed versus routine fluid management. Patients assigned to goal-directed management group were given 3 ml kg -1 hydroxyethyl starch solution when stroke volume variation exceeded 15% for 5 min. Fluid was managed per routine by attending anesthesiologists in reference patients. The primary outcome was cerebral edema volume after surgery as assessed by computerized tomography.

A total of 480 eligible patients were randomly assigned to the goal-directed ( n = 240) or the routine fluid management group ( n = 240). The amounts of crystalloid (5.4 vs. 7.0 ml kg -1 hour -1 , P < 0.001), colloid (1.1 vs. 1.7 ml kg -1 hour -1 , P < 0.001), and overall fluid balance (0.3 vs. 1.9 ml kg -1 hour -1 , P < 0.001) were significantly lower in goal-directed fluid management group. There was no significant difference in postoperative brain edema volume between groups (36.0 vs. 38.9 cm 3 , mean difference: 0.18 cm 3 , 95% CI: -5.7 to 5.9). Goal-directed patients had lower intraoperative dural tension (risk ratio: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.50-0.80, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in Karnofsky Performance Status between the two groups at 30 days after surgery.

Goal-directed fluid therapy substantially reduced intravenous fluid volumes, but did not reduce postoperative brain edema in patients having brain tumor resections.