Point-of-care ultrasound of the inferior vena cava for intravascular volume assessment during intravenous albumin infusion in patients with cirrhosis

Iatrogenic volume overload after albumin infusions in patients with cirrhosis is a potentially harmful side effect, but no policy for monitoring intravascular volume overload using non-invasive tools has been suggested so far. New-onset potential volume overload was detected in almost one out of five men and four out of 10 women and was associated with increases in N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, lower mean arterial pressure during albumin infusion, and higher serum sodium levels. Our results from this proof-of-concept study emphasize the need for larger prospective cohort studies to validate our findings and introduce strategies for individualizing volume management in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.