Fluid removal treatment for critically ill patients with fluid overload

Goal Directed Fluid Removal With Furosemide in Intensive Care Patients With Fluid Overload - A Randomised, Blinded, Placebo-controlled Trial (GODIF).

Phase 4 Interventional Nordsjaellands Hospital · NCT04180397

This study is testing if a medication called furosemide can safely help critically ill patients in the ICU get rid of extra fluid in their bodies compared to a placebo.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 4
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment1000 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorNordsjaellands Hospital Academic / other
Locations24 sites (Sydney and 23 other locations)
Trial IDNCT04180397 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of goal-directed fluid removal using furosemide compared to a placebo in critically ill adult patients experiencing fluid overload in the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either furosemide or a placebo until the excess fluid is excreted. The study aims to determine whether fluid overload is causally linked to adverse outcomes or merely a marker of disease severity. The inclusion criteria require patients to be clinically stable and have a fluid overload of 5% or more of their ideal body weight.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are critically ill adults aged 18 or older with a fluid overload of 5% or more of their ideal body weight.

Not a fit: Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, ongoing renal replacement therapy, or severe dysnatremia may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could significantly improve outcomes for critically ill patients suffering from fluid overload.

How similar studies have performed: Previous observational studies have indicated potential benefits of fluid removal in similar patient populations, but this approach is being rigorously tested in a controlled setting.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: ALL below must be met.

* Acute admission to the intensive care unit.
* Age ≥ 18 years of age
* Fluid overload ≥ 5% of ideal body weight. If possible, all fluids administered before admission to the intensive care unit are to be included in the calculation of cumulative fluid balance.
* Clinical stable (minimum criteria: MAP \> 50 mmHg and maximum infusion of 20 microgram/kg/minute of noradrenaline and lactate \< 4.0 mmol/L)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Known allergy to furosemide or sulphonamides.
* Known pre-hospitalization advanced chronic kidney disease (eGFR \< 30 mL/minute/1.73 m\^2 or chronic RRT).
* Ongoing renal replacement therapy.
* Anuria \> 6 hours.
* Rhabdomyolysis with indication for forced diuresis
* Ongoing life-threatening bleeding as these patients need specific fluid/blood product strategies.
* Acute burn injury of more than 10% of the body surface area as these patients need a specific fluid strategy.
* Severe dysnatremia (p-Na \< 120 or \> 155 mmol/L) as these patients need a specific fluid strategy.
* Severe hepatic failure as per the clinical team.
* Patients undergoing forced treatment.
* Fertile women (women \< 50 years) with positive urine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or plasma-hCG.
* Consent not obtainable as per the model approved for the specific trial site.

Where this trial is running

Sydney and 23 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Fluid OverloadFluid overloadFluid removalDeresusciationDiureticsFluid accumulation
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.