In the last decade, intravenous fluid therapy in critically ill patients and its adverse side effects have received increasing attention. The total of resuscitation fluids, maintenance fluid therapy and the (often underestimated) amount of fluid creep potentially leads to fluid accumulation (FA) in a considerable percentage of ICU patients [1,2]. FA is a pathological process that initiates a vicious cycle of endothelial dysfunction and interstitial oedema leading to impaired diffusion of oxygen and metabolites, and ultimately resulting in organ dysfunction [3–5].
