Twenty percent human albumin solution fluid bolus administration therapy in patients after cardiac surgery-II: a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Purpose: After cardiac surgery, fluid bolus therapy (FBT) with 20% human albumin may facilitate less fluid and vasopressor administration than FBT with crystalloids. We aimed to determine whether, after cardiac surgery, FBT with 20% albumin reduces the duration of vasopressor therapy compared with crystalloid FBT. 

Methods: We conducted a multicentre, parallel-group, open-label, randomised clinical trial in six intensive care units (ICUs) involving cardiac surgery patients deemed to require FBT. We randomised 240 patients to receive up to 400 mL of 20% albumin/day as FBT, followed by 4% albumin for any subsequent FBT on that day, or to crystalloid FBT for at least the first 1000 mL, with use of crystalloid or 4% albumin FBT thereafter. The primary outcome was the cumulative duration of vasopressor therapy. Secondary outcomes included fluid balance. 

Results: Of 480 randomised patients, 466 provided consent and contributed to the primary outcome (mean age 65 years; median EuroSCORE II 1.4). The cumulative median duration of vasopressor therapy was 7 (interquartile range [IQR] 0–19.6) hours with 20% albumin and 10.8 (IQR 0–22.8) hours with crystalloids (difference − 3.8 h, 95% confidence interval [CI] − 8 to 0.4; P = 0.08). Day one fluid balance was less with 20% albumin FBT (mean difference − 701 mL, 95% CI − 872 to − 530). 

Conclusions: In patients after cardiac surgery, when compared to a crystalloid-based FBT, 20% albumin FBT was associated with a reduced positive fluid balance but did not significantly reduce the duration of vasopressor therapy.