Pv-aCO₂ Gap-Guided Resuscitation in Adult Polytrauma Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

dult patients with multiple traumatic injuries admitted to the ICU from the operating room, emergency department, or hospital wards who meet the study criteria will be included after obtaining informed consent from the patient or their legal guardian. Participants will be randomly divided into two groups: one group will receive treatment guided by the difference between carbon dioxide levels in venous and arterial blood, while the other group will receive treatment based on standard resuscitation parameters commonly used in critical care. As part of routine monitoring, all patients will have a central venous catheter and an arterial line inserted to measure blood parameters. Blood samples from both lines will be taken shortly after ICU admission and at regular intervals during the first three days. These samples will be analyzed using a bedside blood gas machine, and the results will be compared between the two groups to determine whether monitoring the difference in carbon dioxide levels between venous and arterial blood improves patient outcomes compared with standard care.

NCT Number	NCT07480655
Lead Sponsor	Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences
Conditions	Polytrauma, Resuscitation, Trauma Patients
Enrollment	60 participants
Start Date	2026-03-16
Primary Completion	2026-06-16 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-06-16 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-03-18