Figure 1.

Study overview

We developed physiological scores to describe respiratory, neurological, and cardiovascular function, and compared them between FEAST and four additional cohorts of ill children. We assessed their relationships with clinical outcomes. We used the scores to describe sequential changes in each organ system in FEAST and to identify clusters of participants with differing physiological derangements within FEAST. We then assessed the effect of fluid bolus on subsequent physiological scores, haemoglobin, and acid-base biochemistry in FEAST participants using a linear model accounting for baseline values as the primary outcome measure. The proportion of individuals with larger, more clinically important changes in physiological scores and blood parameters were compared in a secondary analysis. The effect of bolus volume on physiological scores, haemoglobin, and biochemical parameters was assessed in pre-planned exploratory analyses. The combined contribution of the effects of bolus on time to death was assessed in a post-hoc analysis.