Preventing Cardiovascular Collapse With Administration of Fluid Resuscitation During Induction and Intubation

Complications are common during tracheal intubation of critically ill patients. Nearly one in five patients undergoing intubation in the intensive care unit experiences cardiovascular collapse, defined as severe hypotension, vasopressor administration, cardiac arrest or death. Cardiovascular collapse during intubation is associated with increased resource utilization and decreased survival. Administration of 500 mL of intravenous crystalloid solution beginning prior to induction may prevent cardiovascular collapse. The only prior trial examining fluid bolus administration during intubation found no effect on cardiovascular collapse or clinical outcomes overall, but a hypothesis-generating subgroup analysis suggested potential benefit to fluid bolus administration among patients receiving positive pressure ventilation between induction and laryngoscopy. Therefore, we propose a randomized trial comparing fluid bolus administration versus none with regard to cardiovascular collapse among critically adults undergoing intubation with positive pressure ventilation between induction and laryngoscopy.