Study Of Ultrasound Windows For Measuring Inferior Vena Cava Changes Before Cardiac Surgery

NCT ID: NCT07305051

Last Updated: 2025-12-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

283 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-31

Study Completion Date

2028-12-31

Brief Summary

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This research study will compare two ultrasound methods for assessing the inferior vena cava (IVC), a major vein that reflects intravascular fluid status and cardiac function before and after surgery. The standard method uses a subcostal ultrasound view obtained below the breastbone, but this approach may be limited in patients with obesity, surgical dressings, or postoperative discomfort. An alternative approach, the transhepatic view, uses the liver as an acoustic window and may provide improved feasibility in these situations.

The study will evaluate whether the transhepatic view provides measurements comparable to the standard subcostal view and whether operators with different levels of ultrasound experience obtain consistent results using both methods. Adult patients who are awake and scheduled for cardiac surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre will undergo a brief ultrasound examination before surgery. The scan takes less than 10 minutes, involves no discomfort, and does not alter clinical care. This is a minimal-risk observational study with no therapeutic interventions. Participation is voluntary, and all personal health information will remain confidential. Findings may inform future approaches to ultrasound-guided assessment and training in perioperative care.

Detailed Description

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Respiratory variation in inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter is a widely accepted non-invasive marker of intravascular volume status and fluid responsiveness, particularly in spontaneously breathing patients. Among transthoracic echocardiographic windows, this variation is most commonly assessed using the subcostal (SC) view, which is considered the clinical reference standard due to its direct acoustic pathway and extensive validation in research and clinical practice. The physiologic basis for this measure is strongest in the context of spontaneous respiration, where negative intrathoracic pressure significantly influences venous return dynamics. For this reason, the study population is limited to spontaneously breathing patients to ensure physiologic consistency and interpretive validity.

The SC view, however, may be limited by factors such as body habitus, postoperative dressings, or an obstructed subxiphoid window. The transhepatic (TH) view has been proposed as a complementary or alternative approach, providing an oblique acoustic window through the liver that facilitates visualization of the IVC long axis. Several observational studies have reported strong correlation and agreement between TH and SC measurements of IVC diameter and collapsibility, including in both spontaneously breathing and mechanically ventilated patients. Despite these promising findings, prior studies have been constrained by small sample sizes, heterogeneous methodologies, and limited assessment of reproducibility-particularly across operators with different levels of ultrasound experience. These gaps underscore the need for a larger, methodologically rigorous validation study.

The primary objective of this prospective, single-center observational study is to evaluate agreement between the SC and TH views using methodological standards aligned with diagnostic accuracy frameworks such as QUADAS-2, in a larger cohort of patients scheduled for cardiac surgery. The secondary objective is to assess interrater reliability of TH and SC IVC measurements obtained by novice and expert sonographers. The results are intended to strengthen the evidence base supporting the use of the transhepatic view in perioperative care and to inform future training, competency assessment, and quality-assurance processes in point-of-care ultrasound.

Conditions

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Perioperative Fluid Management Hemodynamic Monitoring Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index Cardiac Surgery Patients

Keywords

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point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) Transhepatic view Subcostal view Inferior vena cava (IVC) Echocardiography Ultrasound imaging Central venous assessment Cardiac surgery Fluid status assessment Interrater reliability Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Adult patients

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Adult Cardiac Surgery Patients

This group includes adult patients (Age ≥ 18) who are awake, spontaneously breathing, and scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. They must also be able to lie supine and provide informed consent.

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adults aged eighteen years or older
* Scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
* Spontaneously breathing at the time of ultrasound assessment
* Able to lie supine for image acquisition
* Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

* Inability to lie supine
* Known right heart failure
* Moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation
* Portal hypertension
* End-stage renal disease
* Presence of abdominal dressings or conditions that preclude transhepatic imaging
* Poor acoustic windows that prevent adequate measurement from either the subcostal or transhepatic view, despite standard optimization techniques (positioning, breathing coaching, depth and gain adjustment, probe angulation)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Jacobo Moreno Garijo, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sunnybrook Health Science Centre

Locations

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Sunnybrook Health Science Centre

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

Central Contacts

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Lilia Kaustov, MSc, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 416-967-8587

Email: [email protected]

Ignacio Erbetta, MD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 416-967-8587

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Lilia Kaustov, MSC, PhD

Role: primary

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Other Identifiers

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6762

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id