Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis in Critically Ill Patients

Increased fluid accumulation during the early phase of resuscitation modifies the physiologic distribution of fluids across the body, in particular increasing extracellular water content. Contemporarily, a high catabolic state starts, leading to patients’ muscular mass loss. This can terminate into ICU-acquired weakness and its associated negative outcomes, including patient’s disability and death. Consequently, adequate fluid management and artificial nutrition provision are fundamental cornerstones of critically ill patients’ management. Bioelectrical impedance vectorial analysis (BIVA) is useful to characterize body composition and associated changes during patient’s ICU stay. As a result, BIVA can be useful to optimize fluid therapy and nutrition in ICU. Despite its limitations, the bedside availability and easiness to use make it a tool that helps clinicians to “personalize” some treatments in critically ill patients.