Ultrasound could guide safer fluid dosing after heart surgery
NCT ID NCT07792707
First seen Aug 28, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026
Summary
This pilot trial tests whether a structured ultrasound assessment can help doctors manage fluids better in patients recovering from cardiac surgery. Participants are randomly assigned to either standard care or an ultrasound-guided strategy that measures fluid tolerance and responsiveness. The study aims to see if this information changes clinical decisions and whether the approach is practical in the intensive care unit. It also explores effects on fluid balance, kidney function, and overall recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Structured point-of-care ultrasound assessment (VExUS score and fluid responsiveness)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, ultrasound-guided fluid management could reduce complications like kidney injury and shorten recovery after cardiac surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study focused on feasibility, so it may not detect clear clinical benefits. The ultrasound assessment may not change treatment decisions or improve outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged ≥18 years * Undergoing planned cardiac surgery with anticipated postoperative admission to the intensive care unit Exclusion Criteria: * Known stage 5 chronic kidney disease according to the KDIGO classification (eGFR less than 15 mL/min/1.73m2) or on renal replacement therapy * Planned or ongoing mechanical circulatory support * Planned or history of heart transplantation
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)
Montreal, Quebec, H2X 0C1, Canada
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Montreal Heart Institute
Montreal, Quebec, H1T 1C8, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Hospital-to-Home transitional cardiac rehabilitation as a transition from Centre-Based cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgery: a Single-Blind randomised controlled trial
- Can a blood filter strip away toxins in septic shock?
- A simple protein test might flag kidney danger after heart surgery
- Eye ultrasound may spot brain swelling during aortic surgery
- Minute-by-Minute urine tracking may sharpen fluid care after heart surgery
- Can better nurse training reduce ICU complications?