Rapid paediatric fluid resuscitation: a randomised controlled trial comparing the efficiency of two provider-endorsed manual paediatric fluid resuscitation techniques in a simulated setting

When Minutes Matter: Rapid Infusion in Emergency Care

Purpose of Review

This review provides historical context and an update on recent advancements in volume resuscitation for circulatory shock. Emergency department providers who manage critically ill patients with undifferentiated shock will benefit from the insights of early pioneers and an overview of newer techniques which can be used to optimize resuscitation in the first minutes of care.

Recent Findings

Rapid infusion of fluids and blood products can be a life-saving intervention in the management of circulatory and hemorrhagic shock. Recent controversy over the role of fluid resuscitation in sepsis and trauma management has obscured the importance of early and rapid infusion of sufficient volume to restore circulation and improve organ perfusion. Evidence from high-quality studies demonstrates that rapid and early resuscitation improves patient outcomes.

Summary

Current practice standards, guidelines, and available literature support the rapid reversal of shock as a key priority in the treatment of hypotension from traumatic and non-traumatic conditions. An improved understanding of the physiologic rationale of rapid infusion and the timing, volume, and methods of fluid delivery will help clinicians improve care for critically ill patients presenting with shock.

Clinical Case

A 23-year-old male presents to the emergency department (ED) after striking a tree while riding an all-terrain vehicle. On arrival at the scene, first responders found an unconscious patient with an open skull fracture and a Glasgow coma scale score of 3. Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation was initiated, and a semi-rigid cervical collar was placed prior to transport to your ED for stabilization while awaiting air transport to the nearest trauma center. You are the attending emergency medicine physician at a community ED staffed by two attending physicians, two physicians assistants, and six nurses covering 22 beds. On ED arrival, the patient has no spontaneous respiratory effort, and vital signs are as follows: pulse of 140 bpm, blood pressure of 65/30 mmHg, and oxygen saturation 85% while receiving BVM ventilation with 100% oxygen. He is bleeding profusely through a gauze dressing applied to the exposed dura. The prehospital team was unable to establish intravenous access. What are the management priorities for this patient in shock, and how should his hypotension best be addressed?

A Randomized Single-Blinded Simulation-Based Trial of a Novel Method for Fluid Administration to a Septic Infant

OBJECTIVES

For children presenting in shock, American College of Critical Care Medicine guidelines recommend 3 boluses of intravenous fluids during initial resuscitation, but these are often not met. This study aims to compare a novel device LifeFlow, to established manual methods for rapid fluid delivery in a simulated environment.

METHOD

This single-blinded randomized trial was conducted in a level 1 pediatric trauma center emergency department. Fifty-four participants were paired and randomized to one of the following methods: push/pull, pressure bag, or LifeFlow. The teams were presented with a standardized simulation-based case and asked to resuscitate a 10-kg patient in decompensated shock. We used a demographic survey to study provider variables, recordings of the simulation and fluid delivery to independently establish rate and accuracy, and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration Task Load Index to assess workload.

RESULT

All 54 participants completed the assigned tasks, and no significant differences were found among the demographics of participants. The primary outcome (mean rate of fluid administration) differed significantly between the 3 techniques, LifeFlow being the fastest (65.29 mL/min). The composite National Aeronautical and Space Administration Task Load Index score (30; P = 0.184) was lowest for the LifeFlow. Significant differences were seen among the correlation coefficient comparing the estimated to the actual volume of fluid for each method, pressure bag being the highest (0.66), followed by push-pull (0.54) and LifeFlow (0.31).

CONCLUSIONS

LifeFlow allowed for faster fluid administration rate and thus could be the preferred technique for rapid fluid resuscitation in pediatrics patients. Further investigations should explore the reproducibility of these results using this device in real patients in multiple centers.

A simulation study of high-flow versus normal-flow three-way stopcock for rapid fluid administration in emergency situations: A randomised crossover design

BACKGROUND

Initial fluid resuscitation is presumed to be important for treating shock in the resuscitation phase. However, little is known how quickly and easily a physician could perform a rapid infusion with a syringe.

OBJECTIVES

We hypothesised that using a high-flow three-way stopcock (HTS) makes initial fluid resuscitation faster and easier than using a normal-flow three-way stopcock (NTS).

METHODS

This was a simulation study with a prospective, nonblinded randomised crossover design. Twenty physicians were randomly assigned into two groups. Each participant used six peripheral intravenous infusion circuits, three with the HTS and the others with the NTS, and three cannulae, 22, 20, and 18 gauge (G). The first group started with the HTS first, while the other started with the NTS first. They were asked to inject the fluid as quick as possible. We compared the time until the participants finished rapid infusions of 500 ml of 0.9% saline and the practitioner's effort.

RESULTS

In infusion circuits attached with the 22G cannula, the mean difference using the HTS and the NTS (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 16.30 ml/min (7.65-24.94) (p < 0.01). In those attached with the 20G cannula, the mean difference (95% CI) was 23.47 (12.43-34.51) (p < 0.01). In those attached with the 18G cannula, the mean difference (95% CI) was 42.53 (28.68-56.38) (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that the push-and-pull technique using the HTS was faster, easier, and less tiresome than using the NTS, with a statistically significant difference. In the resuscitation phase, initial and faster infusion is important. If only a single physician or other staff member such as a nurse is attending or does not have accessibility to any other devices in such an environment where medical resources are scarce, performing the push-and-pull technique using the HTS could help a physician to perform fluid resuscitation faster. By setting up the HTS instead of the NTS from the beginning, we would be able to begin fluid resuscitation immediately while preparing other devices.

Efficacy of Rapid Fluid Administration Using Various Setups and Devices

OBJECTIVES

In clinical practice, there are various methods that can be used for the rapid administration of fluid in infants and children. The current study prospectively evaluates gravity, pressure-assisted, and hand-pump methods for the rapid administration of fluid using an in vitro model.

METHODS

Thirty participants were asked to deliver 500 mL of fluid using 1 of 6 setups: (1) standard blood tubing with gravity administration, (2) standard blood tubing with pressure bag maintained at 300 mm Hg, (3) standard blood tubing with pressure bag inflated to 300 mm Hg and left to flow, (4) blood tubing with in-line bulb pump, (5) blood tubing with in-line bulb pump and pressure bag, and (6) standard blood tubing with 20-mL syringe attached to the stopcock for a push-and-pull technique using a 20-mL syringe.

RESULTS

The blood tubing with an in-line bulb pump to allow manual acceleration of the administration of fluid along with a pressure bag on the intravenous fluid bag achieved the fastest flow rate, requiring an average of 98 seconds to deliver 500 mL of fluid.

CONCLUSIONS

When considering factors that affect fluid administration, Poiseuille's law dictates that the most important variable is the radius of the intravenous cannula, whereas the length of the cannula and the viscosity of the fluid administered are of secondary importance. With these limitations in mind, other factors may be used to speed fluid administration. Our study demonstrates the advantage of using blood tubing with the in-line bulb pump combined with a pressure bag.

Improving fluid resuscitation in pediatric shock with LifeFlow®: a retrospective case series and review of the literature

Rapid delivery of an intravenous fluid bolus is commonly used in pediatric emergency care for the treatment of shock and hypotension. Early fluid delivery targeted at shock reversal results in improved patient outcomes, yet current methods of fluid resuscitation often limit the ability of providers to achieve fluid delivery goals. We report on the early clinical experience of a new technique for rapid fluid resuscitation. The LifeFlow^® infuser is a manually operated device that combines a syringe, automatic check valve, and high-flow tubing set with an ergonomic handle to enable faster and more efficient delivery of fluid by a single health care provider. LifeFlow is currently FDA-cleared for the delivery of crystalloid and colloids. Four cases are presented in which the LifeFlow device was used for emergent fluid resuscitation: a 6-month-old with septic shock, a 2-year-old with intussusception and shock, an 11-year-old with pneumonia and septic shock, and a 15-year-old with trauma and hemorrhagic shock.

Improving Aseptic Technique During the Treatment of Pediatric Septic Shock: A Comparison of 2 Rapid Fluid Delivery Methods

Rapid fluid resuscitation is used to treat pediatric septic shock. However, achieving fluid delivery goals while maintaining aseptic technique can be challenging. Two methods of fluid resuscitation—the commonly used push-pull technique (PPT) and a new fluid infusion technique using the LifeFlow device (410 Medical, Inc; Durham, NC)—were compared in a simulated patient model. PPT was associated with multiple aseptic technique violations related to contamination of the syringe barrel. This study confirms the risk of PPT-associated syringe contamination and suggests that this risk could be mitigated with the use of a protected syringe system, such as LifeFlow.

Coming full circle: thirty years of paediatric fluid resuscitation

Fluid bolus therapy (FBT) is a cornerstone of the management of the septic child, but clinical research in this field is challenging to perform, and hard to interpret. The evidence base for independent benefit from liberal FBT in the developed world is limited, and the Fluid Expansion as Supportive Therapy (FEAST) trial has led to conservative changes in the World Health Organization-recommended approach to FBT in resource-poor settings. Trials in the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department settings post-FEAST have continued to explore liberal FBT strategies as the norm, despite a strong signal associating fluid accumulation with pulmonary pathology in the paediatric population. Modern clinical trial methodology may ameliorate the traditional challenges of performing randomised interventional trials in critically ill children. Such trials could examine differing strategies of fluid resuscitation, or compare early FBT to early vasoactive agent use. Given the ubiquity of FBT and the potential for harm, appropriately powered examinations of the efficacy of FBT compared to alternative interventions in the paediatric emergency and ICU settings in the developed world appear justified and warranted.

Paediatric trauma resuscitation: an update

Purpose

Paediatric trauma is the leading cause of mortality in children. Paediatric trauma resuscitation is the first and foremost step towards a successful treatment and subsequent recovery. Significant advances have taken place in the last years in relation to this field of trauma care.

Methods

In this narrative review, we attempt to summarise the recent development in the concepts of fluid resuscitation, massive transfusion, permissive resuscitation, management of coagulopathy and use of tranexamic acid, literature pertaining to implementation of transfusion protocols in the paediatric population and education related to the paediatric trauma resuscitation.

Results/Conclusions

The current evidence although emerging is still sparse and high-quality studies are needed to shed more light on most of the above domains of resuscitation.