Prognostic value of dobutamine stress test in patients with septic shock.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prognostic effect of dobutamine stress test in patients with septic shock.


METHODS
Patients with septic shock received intravenous infusion of dobutamine at 10 microg . kg-1 . min-1 for 1 h. Hemodynamics and oxygen metabolism was observed. A patient who was able to increase oxygen consumption index (VO2) by >15 % was designated as a responder to the test.


RESULTS
In 47 patients with septic shock, twenty one responders and twenty six nonresponders were identified, and mortality was 33.3 % and 76.9 % respectively. After the dobutamine infusion, the responders showed increases in cardiac index (18.1 %), oxygen delivery index (12.7 %), VO2 (38.6 %), and oxygen extraction ratio (18.0 %), and reductions in systemic vascular resistance index (18.5 %). The nonresponders demonstrated increases in cardiac index (11.5 %), but no change in oxygen delivery, VO2, and oxygen extraction ratio.


CONCLUSIONS
Dobutamine stress test might be a good predictor of outcome in patients with septic shock.
Qiu
H B
HB
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhong Da Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China. Haiboq@hotmail.com
Yang
Y
Y
Zhou
S X
SX
Liu
S H
SH
Zheng
R Q
RQ
D000368:Aged; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004280:Dobutamine; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D011379:Prognosis; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004280:Dobutamine