Peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume ratio, a load-independent measure of ventricular function, is reversibly decreased in human septic shock.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate left ventricular performance in patients with septic shock, using a load-independent measure of left ventricular systolic function, the peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume index ratio.


METHODS
National Institutes of Health research facility.


METHODS
Prospective study with retrospective analysis of data.


METHODS
Twenty-seven patients with septic shock, 13 critically ill, nonseptic control patients, and nine normal volunteers.


METHODS
Hemodynamic measurements from indwelling arterial and pulmonary artery catheters and radionuclide-determined ejection fraction measurements. These data were used to calculate the peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume index ratio in each patient group. The survivors and nonsurvivors of septic shock were evaluated on admission to the intensive care unit and at recovery in the survivors or within 24 hrs of death in the nonsurvivors. The ratio in each group was compared with the ratio in the critically ill, nonseptic patients and the normal volunteers.


RESULTS
Both survivors and nonsurvivors of septic shock had a decreased peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume index ratio (1.2 +/- 0.1 and 1.7 +/- 0.2 mm Hg/mL/m2, respectively) compared with critically ill, nonseptic patients (3.5 +/- 0.7 mm Hg/mL/m2; both p < .05) and normal volunteers (4.3 +/- 0.4 mm Hg/mL/m2; both p < .05). The differences between the groups were highly significant (p < .001) by analysis of variance. The survivors had a lower initial peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume index ratio than the nonsurvivors (p < .05). In the survivors, the peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume index ratio increased significantly (p < .05) with recovery to 2.4 +/- 0.3 mm Hg/mL/m2. Serial determinations of peak systolic pressure/end-systolic volume index ratio in the nonsurvivors did not show any significant change.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that survivors and nonsurvivors of septic shock have significant depression of myocardial performance as measured by a load-independent technique. Survivors have greater depression of myocardial performance than nonsurvivors, and, with recovery, the ventricular performance in survivors increases toward normal values.
Parker
M M
MM
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Ognibene
F P
FP
Parrillo
J E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D016638:Critical Illness; D015637:Gated Blood-Pool Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*