How Heart Function Changes When Critically Ill Patients Receive Fluids

This research study is designed to understand how the right side of the heart works during and after receiving fluids in critically ill patients. Doctors will use heart ultrasounds (echocardiograms) to measure how well the right side of your heart is pumping before and after you receive fluid as part of your standard ICU care. The goal is to learn whether these measurements can help doctors better understand how your body is responding to treatment.

When patients in the ICU are very sick and their blood pressure drops dangerously low, doctors give them fluids to help stabilize them. However, doctors don't always know which patients will benefit from these fluids or whether giving fluids might cause problems like fluid buildup in the body. This study aims to find better ways to measure how well the heart's right side is working, so doctors can make smarter decisions about fluid treatment.