Arterial pressure changes during the Valsalva maneuver to predict fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing patients

To evaluate whether arterial pressure response during a Valsalva maneuver could predict fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing patients.

Prospective clinical study in a 17-bed multidisciplinary intensive care unit.

Thirty patients without mechanical ventilation and equipped with a radial arterial catheter for whom the decision to give fluids was taken due to suspected hypovolemia.

A 10-s Valsalva maneuver was performed before and after volume expansion (VE). Patients were classified as responders if stroke volume index (SVi) increased ≥15% after VE.

Pulse pressure changes during the Valsalva maneuver (∆VPP) were calculated as the difference between maximal pulse pressure during phase 1 and minimal pulse pressure during phase 2 of the Valsalva maneuver divided by the mean of the two values and expressed as a percentage. Valsalva changes in systolic pressure (∆VSP) were calculated in similar way. SVi changes induced by VE was correlated with baseline values of ∆VPP and ∆VSP (r ² = 0.71 and r ² = 0.60; P < 0.0001, respectively), and with VE-induced changes in ∆VPP and ∆VSP (r ² = 0.56 and r ² = 0.44; P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001, respectively). A ∆VPP value of 52% and ∆VSP of 30% predicted fluid responsiveness with a sensitivity of 91% and 73% and a specificity of 95 and 90%, respectively.

Arterial response during the Valsalva maneuver is a feasible tool for predicting fluid responsiveness in patients without mechanical ventilatory support.