Influence of goal-directed fluid therapy guided by the Vigileo-FloTrac^TM system on intestinal mucosal barrier function in elderly patients with colorectal cancer

Introduction
Colorectal cancer is a clinically common malignancy arising in the digestive tract.

Aim
To evaluate the influence of goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) guided by the Vigileo-FloTrac^TM system on intestinal mucosal barrier function in elderly patients with colorectal cancer.

Material and methods
A prospective study was conducted on 106 elderly patients with colorectal cancer. They were divided into control and research groups (n = 53) using a random number table, and subjected to conventional fluid therapy and Vigileo-FloTracTM system-guided GDFT, respectively. Their intraoperative indicators, postoperative indicators, and changes of haemodynamics, oxygen metabolism, intestinal mucosal barrier function at different time points, and incidence rates of complications were compared.

Results
Compared with the control group, the intraoperative urine volume, colloid fluid volume, crystalloid fluid volume, and total infusion volume were lower, and the first postoperative exhaust time, first postoperative feeding time, and hospital stay were shorter in the research group (p < 0.05). At T₁ and T₂, mean artery pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, oxygen consumption, oxygen delivery, and oxygen extraction ratio in the research group were lower than in the control group, but all of them first rose and then fell in the 2 groups (p < 0.05). On the 3rd day after surgery, the levels of serum endothelin, diamine oxidase and D-lactate declined in both groups, and the decline was more obvious in the research group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions
GDFT guided by the Vigileo-FloTrac^TM system is beneficial to the prognosis of patients by effectively decreasing fluid infusion.