title: Peripheral vascular resistance in septic shock: its relation to outcome.
abstract: To support the concept that patients who die of septic shock have a persistent defect in peripheral vascular tone irrespective of cardiac index (CI), a retrospective study was undertaken of 42 patients with documented septic shock. From the patient records, the single lowest CI (t = 2) measured after initial values (t = 1) with concomitantly obtained haemodynamic and metabolic variables was taken. Group 1 consisted of 21 survivors and group 2 of 21 patients, who had died in shock. Initial haemodynamic and metabolic variables were comparable between the groups, reflecting shock with a hyperdynamic circulation and lactic acidemia. At t = 2, median CI measured 3.21.min-1.m-2 in both groups, but mean arterial pressure (MAP) and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) were higher in group 1 than 2 (p less than 0.0005). Changes in arterial blood lactate levels also differed significantly. The rankcorrelation between CI and SVRI at t = 2 was significant in group 1 (rs = -0.69, p less than 0.005) but not in group 2 (rs = -0.34). Our data suggest that when CI decreases in septic shock, patients with a fatal outcome have less capability to augment vascular resistance than survivors. Hence, peripheral vascular failure, even if complicated by inability to maintain an elevated CI, may be a major haemodynamic determinant of mortality in septic shock.
authors: Medical Intensive Care Unit of Department of Internal Medicine, Academisch Ziekenhuis van de Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: A B
authors: AB
authors: Groeneveld
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Nauta
authors: L G
authors: LG
authors: Thijs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002302:Cardiac Output; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014655:Vascular Resistance