Exploration of skin perfusion in cirrhotic patients with septic shock

Clinical evaluation of peripheral tissue perfusion as a predictor of mortality in sepsis and septic shock in the intensive care unit: Systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the diagnostic performance of the clinical evaluation of peripheral tissue perfusion in the prediction of mortality.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

SETTING

Intensive care unit.

PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS

Patients with sepsis and septic shock.

INTERVENTIONS

Studies of patients with sepsis and/or septic shock that associated clinical monitoring of tissue perfusion with mortality were included. A systematic review was performed by searching the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, and OVID databases.

MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST

The risk of bias was assessed with the QUADAS-2 tool. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to evaluate the predictive accuracy for mortality. Review Manager software version 5.4 was used to draw the forest plot graphs, and Stata version 15.1 was used to build the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic model.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included, with a total of 1667 patients and 17 analyses. Two articles evaluated the temperature gradient, four evaluated the capillary refill time, and seven evaluated the mottling in the skin. In most studies, the outcome was mortality at 14 or 28 days. The pooled sensitivity of the included studies was 70%, specificity 75.9% (95% CI, 61.6%-86.2%), diagnostic odds ratio 7.41 (95% CI, 3.91-14.04), and positive and negative likelihood ratios 2.91 (95% CI, 1.80-4.72) and 0.39 (95% CI, 0.30-0.51), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical evaluation of tissue perfusion at the bedside is a useful tool, with moderate sensitivity and specificity, to identify patients with a higher risk of death among those with sepsis and septic shock.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42019134351.

The renal resistive index is associated with microvascular remodeling in patients with severe obesity

BACKGROUND

Renal hemodynamics is impaired since the early stage of cardiometabolic disease. However, in obesity, its noninvasive ultrasound assessment still fails to provide pathophysiologic and clinical meaningfulness. We aimed to explore the relationship between peripheral microcirculation and renal hemodynamics in severe obesity.

METHODS

We enrolled fifty severely obese patients with an indication for bariatric referring to our outpatient clinic. Patients underwent an extensive reno-metabolic examination, paired with Doppler ultrasound and measurement of the renal resistive index (RRI). On the day of the surgery, visceral fat biopsies were collected to perform an ex-vivo complete microcirculatory assessment. Media-to-lumen ratio (M/L) and vascular response to acetylcholine (ACh), alone or co-incubated with N G -nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), were measured.

RESULTS

Patients were stratified according to their normotensive (NT) or hypertensive (HT) status. HT had lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and higher RRI compared to NT, while the presence and extent of albuminuria were similar between the two groups. Concerning microcirculatory assessment, there were no differences between groups as regards the microvascular structure, while the vasorelaxation to ACh was lower in HT ( P = 0.042). Multivariable analysis showed a relationship between M/L and RRI ( P  = 0.016, St. β 0.37) and between albuminuria and the inhibitory response of L-NAME to Ach vasodilation ( P   =  0.036, St. β = -0.34). Notably, all these correlations were consistent also after adjustment for confounding factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The RRI and albuminuria relationship with microvascular remodeling in patients affected by severe obesity supports the clinical implementation of RRI to improve risk stratification in obesity and suggests a tight pathophysiologic connection between renal haemodynamics and microcirculatory disruption.

Management of sepsis in a cirrhotic patient admitted to the intensive care unit: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Sepsis is a severe medical condition that occurs when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection, leading to life-threatening organ dysfunction. The "Third international consensus definitions for sepsis and septic shock (Sepsis-3)" defines sepsis as an increase in sequential organ failure assessment score of 2 points or more, with a mortality rate above 10%. Sepsis is a leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and patients with underlying conditions such as cirrhosis have a higher risk of poor outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to recognize and manage sepsis promptly by administering fluids, vasopressors, steroids, and antibiotics, and identifying and treating the source of infection.

AIM

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature on the management of sepsis in cirrhotic patients admitted to the ICU and compare the management of sepsis between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients in the ICU.

METHODS

This study is a systematic literature review that followed the PRISMA statement's standardized search method. The search for relevant studies was conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Base, and Cochrane, using predefined search terms. One reviewer conducted the initial search, and the eligibility criteria were applied to the titles and abstracts of the retrieved articles. The selected articles were then evaluated based on the research objectives to ensure relevance to the study's aims.

RESULTS

The study findings indicate that cirrhotic patients are more susceptible to infections, resulting in higher mortality rates ranging from 18% to 60%. Early identification of the infection source followed by timely administration of antibiotics, vasopressors, and corticosteroids has been shown to improve patient outcomes. Procalcitonin is a useful biomarker for diagnosing infections in cirrhotic patients. Moreover, presepsin and resistin have been found to be reliable markers of bacterial infection in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis, with similar diagnostic performance compared to procalcitonin.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights the importance of early detection and management of infections in cirrhosis patients to reduce mortality. Therefore, early detection of infection using procalcitonin test and other biomarker as presepsin and resistin, associated with early management with antibiotics, fluids, vasopressors and low dose corticosteroids might reduce the mortality associated with sepsis in cirrhotic patients.

Emerging concepts in the care of patients with cirrhosis and septic shock

Septic shock impacts approximately 6% of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Although a number of landmark clinical trials have paved the way for incremental improvements in the diagnosis and management of septic shock in the general population, patients with cirrhosis have largely been excluded from these studies and critical knowledge gaps continue to impact the care of these individuals. In this review, we discuss nuances in the care of patients with cirrhosis and septic shock using a pathophysiology-based approach. We illustrate that septic shock may be challenging to diagnose in this population in the context of factors such as chronic hypotension, impaired lactate metabolism, and concomitant hepatic encephalopathy. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the application of routine interventions such as intravenous fluids, vasopressors, antibiotics, and steroids should be carefully considered among those with decompensated cirrhosis in light of hemodynamic, metabolic, hormonal, and immunologic disturbances. We propose that future research should include and characterize patients with cirrhosis in a systematic manner, and clinical practice guidelines may need to be refined accordingly.

Exaggerated Microvascular Vasodilating Responses in Cirrhotic Patients With Septic Shock

OBJECTIVES

Cirrhosis is associated with hemodynamic and vascular disorders. However, microvascular reactivity of cirrhotic patients in the context of sepsis has poorly been investigated.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING

Medical ICU in a tertiary teaching hospital.

PATIENTS

We prospectively included adult patients admitted in the ICU for septic shock with and without cirrhosis. After initial resuscitation, global hemodynamic parameters were recorded and skin microvascular reactivity to local acetylcholine iontophoresis was measured.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Thirty patients with septic shock were included (60% male), 10 with cirrhosis and 20 without, with a median age of 61 years (54-74 yr). Cirrhotic patients were mainly classed as Child-Pugh C (80%) and all of them had ascites. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and ICU mortality of cirrhotic patients were higher than the noncirrhotic patients, respectively (6.5 [5.0-8.3] vs 11.5 [9.0-14.0]; p < 0.01; 15% vs 70%; p < 0.01). Peripheral tissue perfusion and global hemodynamic parameters were not different between the cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients but arterial lactate level was three times higher in patients with cirrhosis (6.0 mmol/L [3.9-8.0 mmol/L] vs 2.0 mmol/L [0.9-3.5 mmol/L]; p < 0.01). Basal skin microvascular blood flow was not statistically different between the groups (4.94 perfusion units [3.45-8.73 perfusion units] vs 6.95 perfusion units [5.24-8.38 perfusion units]; p = 0.29). After acetylcholine simulation, skin microvascular blood flow increased more in cirrhotic patients than in noncirrhotic patients (644% [217-966%] vs 169% [73-505%], p = 0.03). Global microvascular reactivity was seven times higher in cirrhotic patients (area under the curve, 16,412 perfusion units [13,898-19,041 perfusion units] vs 2,664 perfusion units [969-4,604 perfusion units]; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified an exaggerated vasodilating microvascular response in cirrhotic patients with septic shock. Such a result may explain vasopressor resistance and paves the way for future therapeutic trials, targeting nitric oxide pathway specifically in this population.

Intensive care management of acute-on-chronic liver failure

The syndrome of acute-on-chronic liver failure combines deterioration of liver function in a patient with chronic liver disease, with the development of extrahepatic organ failure and high short-term mortality. Its successful management demands a rapid and coherent response to the development of dysfunction and failure of multiple organ systems in an intensive care unit setting. This response recognises the features that distinguish it from other critical illness and addresses the complex interplay between the precipitating insult, the many organ systems involved and the disordered physiology of underlying chronic liver disease. An evidence base is building to support the approaches currently adopted and outcomes for patients with this condition are improving, but mortality remains unacceptably high. Herein, we review practical considerations in critical care management, as well as discussing key knowledge gaps and areas of controversy that require further focussed research.

Associations Between Mean Arterial Pressure and Poor ICU Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With Cirrhosis: Is 65 The Sweet Spot?

OBJECTIVES

Mean arterial pressure is critically important in patients with cirrhosis in the ICU, however, there is limited data to guide therapies and targets.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

SETTING

Tertiary care ICU.

PATIENTS

Two hundred and seventy-three critically ill patients with cirrhosis.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We performed a comprehensive time-weighted mean arterial pressure analysis (time-weighted-average-mean arterial pressure and cumulative-time-below various mean arterial pressure-thresholds) during the first 24-hours after ICU admission (median: 25 mean arterial pressure measurements per-patient). Time-weighted-average-mean arterial pressure captures both the severity and duration of hypotension below a mean arterial pressure threshold and cumulative-time-below is the total time spent below a mean arterial pressure threshold. Individual univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were assessed for each time-weighted-average-mean arterial pressure and cumulative-time-below mean arterial pressure threshold (55, 60, 65, 70, and 75 mm Hg) for ICU-mortality. Time-weighted-average-mean arterial pressure: for 1 mm Hg decrease in mean arterial pressure below 75, 70, 65, 60, and 55 mm Hg, the odds for ICU-mortality were 14%, 18%, 26%, 41%, and 74%, respectively (p < 0.01, all thresholds). The association between time-weighted-average-mean arterial pressure and ICU-mortality for each threshold remained significant after adjusting for model for end-stage liver disease-sodium score, mechanical ventilation, vasopressor use, renal replacement therapy, grade 3/4 hepatic encephalopathy, WBC count, and albumin. Cumulative-time-below: odds for ICU-mortality were 4%, 6%, 10%, 12%, and 12% for each-hour spent below 75, 70, 65, 60, and 55 mm Hg, respectively. In the adjusted models, significant associations only remained for mean arterial pressure less than 65 mm Hg (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.00-1.14; p = 0.05) and < 60 mm Hg (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01-1.18; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that maintaining a mean arterial pressure of greater than 65 mm Hg may be a reasonable target in patients with cirrhosis admitted to the ICU. However, further prospective randomized trials are needed to determine the optimal mean arterial pressure-targets in this patient population.

[Association between peripheral perfusion, microcirculation and mortality in sepsis: a systematic review]

Although increasing evidence supports the monitoring of peripheral perfusion in septic patients, no systematic review has been undertaken to explore the strength of association between poor perfusion assessed in microcirculation of peripheral tissues and mortality. A search of the most important databases was carried out to find articles published until February 2018 that met the criteria of this study using different keywords: sepsis, mortality, prognosis, microcirculation and peripheral perfusion. The inclusion criteria were studies that assessed association between peripheral perfusion/microcirculation and mortality in sepsis. The exclusion criteria adopted were: review articles, animal/pre-clinical studies, meta-analyzes, abstracts, annals of congress, editorials, letters, case-reports, duplicate and articles that did not present abstracts and/or had no text. In the 26 articles were chosen in which 2465 patients with sepsis were evaluated using at least one recognized method for monitoring peripheral perfusion. The review demonstrated a heterogeneous critically ill group with a mortality-rate between 3% and 71% (median=37% [28%-43%]). The most commonly used methods for measurement were Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) (7 articles) and Sidestream Dark-Field (SDF) imaging (5 articles). The vascular bed most studied was the sublingual/buccal microcirculation (8 articles), followed by fingertip (4 articles). The majority of the studies (23 articles) demonstrated a clear relationship between poor peripheral perfusion and mortality. In conclusion, the diagnosis of hypoperfusion/microcirculatory abnormalities in peripheral non-vital organs was associated with increased mortality. However, additional studies must be undertaken to verify if this association can be considered a marker of the gravity or a trigger factor for organ failure in sepsis.

Cirrhotic Patients Admitted to the ICU With Septic Shock: Factors Predicting Short and Long-Term Outcome

Cirrhotic patients with septic shock have a poor prognosis in ICU compared to general population of critically ill patients. Little is known about long-term outcome in these patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of cirrhotic patients with septic shock. The aim of this study was to describe both short and long-term outcomes and to evaluate factors predicting mortality. Data from 149 patients were analyzed (mean age: 60 ± 11 years, sex ratio: 2.4). Mortality rate in the ICU was 54% and at 1 year it was 73%. Among factors associated with adverse outcome, independent factors predicting ICU mortality were early need for renal replacement therapy (odds ratios, OR 13.95, 95% confidence interval, CI 3.30; 59.03) and arterial lactate >5 mmol.L (OR 7.27, 95% CI 2.92; 18.10), and early use of mechanical ventilation (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.08; 8.58). For 1-year mortality, independent prognostic factors were the need for renal replacement therapy during ICU stay (OR 9.60, 95% CI 2.90; 31.82), prothrombin time ≤40% (OR 3.47, 95% CI 1.43; 8.43), and Charlson score (OR 1.36 per point, 95% CI 1.11; 1.67). The results emphasize the poor prognosis of cirrhotic patients with septic shock admitted to the ICU. The need for organ supports appears to be a better predictor of short-term outcome than the underlying hepatic disease. Renal replacement therapy is associated with both short and long-term outcomes.

Management of Sepsis in Patients With Cirrhosis: Current Evidence and Practical Approach

Sepsis in patients with cirrhosis is associated with high mortality. An impaired immune response accounts for the increased infection risk observed in these patients. Hemodynamic and systemic changes suggestive of sepsis may be observed in patients with cirrhosis in the absence of infection; therefore, diagnosis and treatment of sepsis may be delayed. The optimal management of the critically ill patient with sepsis and cirrhosis has not been well established and is generally extrapolated from consensus guidelines and expert recommendations made for management of patients without cirrhosis with sepsis. Despite the lack of strong evidence, we propose a contemporary pragmatic approach to sepsis management in patients with cirrhosis, including the choice of fluids, vasopressors, and antibiotics.

Assessment of Regional Perfusion and Organ Function: Less and Non-invasive Techniques

Sufficient organ perfusion essentially depends on preserved macro- and micro-circulation. The last two decades brought substantial progress in the development of less and non-invasive monitoring of macro-hemodynamics. However, several recent studies suggest a frequent incoherence of macro- and micro-circulation. Therefore, this review reports on interactions of macro- and micro-circulation as well as on specific regional and micro-circulation. Regarding global micro-circulation the last two decades brought advances in a more systematic approach of clinical examination including capillary refill time, a graded assessment of mottling of the skin and accurate measurement of body surface temperatures. As a kind of link between macro- and microcirculation, a number of biochemical markers can easily be obtained. Among those are central-venous oxygen saturation (S_cvO₂), plasma lactate and the difference between central-venous and arterial CO₂ (cv-a-pCO₂-gap). These inexpensive markers have become part of clinical routine and guideline recommendations. While their potential to replace parameters of macro-circulation such as cardiac output (CO) is limited, they facilitate the interpretation of the adequacy of CO and other macro-circulatory markers. Furthermore, they give additional hints on micro-circulatory impairment. In addition, a number of more sophisticated technical approaches to quantify and visualize micro-circulation including video-microscopy, laser flowmetry, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and partial oxygen pressure measurement have been introduced within the last 20 years. These technologies have been extensively used for scientific purposes. Moreover, they have been successfully used for educational purposes and to visualize micro-circulatory disturbances during sepsis and other causes of shock. Despite several studies demonstrating the association of these techniques and parameters with outcome, their practical application still is limited. However, future improvements in automated and “online” diagnosis will help to make these technologies more applicable in clinical routine. This approach is promising with regard to several studies which demonstrated the potential to guide therapy in different types of shock. Finally several organs have specific patterns of circulation related to their special anatomy (liver) or their auto-regulatory capacities (brain, kidney). Therefore, this review also discusses specific issues of monitoring liver, brain, and kidney circulation and function.

Narrative review: clinical assessment of peripheral tissue perfusion in septic shock

Sepsis is one of the main reasons for intensive care unit admission and is responsible for high morbidity and mortality. The usual hemodynamic targets for resuscitation of patients with septic shock use macro-hemodynamic parameters (hearth rate, mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure). However, persistent alterations of microcirculatory blood flow despite restoration of macro-hemodynamic parameters can lead to organ failure. This dissociation between macro- and microcirculatory compartments brings a need to assess end organs tissue perfusion in patients with septic shock. Traditional markers of tissue perfusion may not be readily available (lactate) or may take time to assess (urine output). The skin, an easily accessible organ, allows clinicians to quickly evaluate the peripheral tissue perfusion with noninvasive bedside parameters such as the skin temperatures gradient, the capillary refill time, the extent of mottling and the peripheral perfusion index.

Exploration de la perfusion tissulaire microcirculatoire au cours du choc septique

Au cours des infections graves, les travaux chez l’animal et chez l’homme ont mis en évidence une altération de la perfusion microcirculatoire à l’origine des défaillances viscérales et potentiellement du décès. La sévérité des anomalies microcirculatoires ainsi que leur persistance sont des facteurs prédictifs de mortalité indépendamment du débit cardiaque ou de la pression artérielle. Il est donc indispensable de développer des outils permettant d’évaluer la perfusion microcirculatoire au lit du malade. De nombreux travaux au cours du sepsis suggèrent que l’analyse de la perfusion cutanée au travers de sa température (et/ou du gradient), du temps de recoloration cutané, de l’étendue des marbrures et de l’indice de perfusion périphérique constitue un outil simple qui permet au réanimateur une évaluation rapide des anomalies microcirculatoires.

Tissue perfusion alterations correlate with mortality in patients admitted to the intensive care unit for acute pulmonary embolism: An observational study

We aimed to assess the relationship between alterations of tissue perfusion parameters at admission (highly predictive of mortality in septic shock) and outcome in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for acute pulmonary embolism (PE). We conducted a retrospective study to analyze the association between arterial lactate level, skin mottling and urinary output, and 28-day mortality.Over a 22-year period, 317 patients with PE were identified but we finally analyzed 108 patients whose main diagnosis for ICU admission was acute PE. At admission, the sequential organ failure assessment score was 2 (0-6) and the simplified acute physiology score II was 29 (16-43). Thirty patients (28%) received vasopressors and 37 patients (34%) received thrombolytic therapy. Day 28 mortality rate was 25% (n = 27). When compared to 28-day survivors, nonsurvivor patients had higher lactate level (4.5 [2.3-10.3] mmol/L vs 1.4 [1-2.9] mmol/L, P < .0001), more frequent mottling around the knee area (56% vs 25%, P = .003) and a lower urinary output (during the first 6 hours) (0.35 [0-1] mL/kg/h vs. 0.88 [0.62-1.677] mL/kg/h, P = .0002). Mortality increased with the number of tissue perfusion alterations present upon admission, 8% for none, 21% for 1, 28% for 2, and finally reached 85% for 3 tissue perfusion alterations (P < .0001). In a multivariate analysis, the relationship between the number of tissue perfusion alterations and 28-day mortality was maintained after adjustment on the presence of shock and right ventricular dilation at admission.In ICU patients admitted for acute PE, tissue perfusion alterations correlated with 28-day mortality independently of blood pressure and right ventricular dilation.

Monitoring of the physical exam in sepsis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Monitoring of mental status and peripheral circulatory changes can be accomplished noninvasively in patients in the ICU. Emphasis on physical examination in conditions such as sepsis have gained increased attention as these evaluations can often serve as a surrogate marker for short-term treatment efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Sepsis associated encephalopathy and mental status changes correlate with worse prognosis in patients. Evaluation of peripheral circulation has been shown to be a convenient, easily accessible, and accurate marker for prognosis in patients with septic shock. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the main findings according to recent literature into the monitoring of physical examination changes in patients with sepsis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several recent studies have expanded our knowledge about the pathophysiology of mental status changes and the clinical assessment of peripheral circulation in patients with sepsis. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy is associated with an increased rate of morbidity and mortality in an intensive care setting. Increased capillary refill time (CRT) and persistent skin mottling are strongly predictive of mortality, whereas temperature gradients can reveal vasoconstriction and more severe organ dysfunction.

SUMMARY

Monitoring of physical examination changes is a significant and critical intervention in patients with sepsis. Utilizing repeated neurologic evaluations, and assessing CRT, mottling score, and skin temperature gradients should be emphasized as important noninvasive diagnostic tools. The significance of these methods can be incorporated during the utilization of therapeutic strategies in resuscitation protocols in patients with sepsis.

Xuebijing Injection Combined with Antibiotics for the Treatment of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Liver Cirrhosis: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is one of the most common complications of liver cirrhosis. Antibiotics are the main treatment regimen of SBP. Traditional Chinese medicine Xuebijing injection has been used in such patients. Our study aimed to overview the efficacy of Xuebijing injection combined with antibiotics for the treatment of SBP.

METHOD

We searched the PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, and Wanfang databases. The search items included "Xuebijing", "peritonitis", "liver cirrhosis", and "random" to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the study quality. The odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by using a random-effect model. Heterogeneity was also calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 9 RCTs were included. The study quality was unsatisfied. The overall (OR = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.97-4.42, p < 0.00001) and complete (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.57-3.04, p < 0.00001) responses were significantly higher in the Xuebijing injection combined with antibiotics group than the antibiotics alone group. The incidence of cirrhosis related complications, including hepatic encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome, was lower in the Xuebijing injection combined with antibiotics group than the antibiotics alone group. No significant heterogeneity was observed among studies.

CONCLUSION

Additional use of Xuebijing injection may improve the efficacy of antibiotics for the treatment of SBP in liver cirrhosis. However, due to a low level of current evidence, we did not establish any recommendation regarding the use of Xuebijing injection for the treatment of SBP.

Prospects of Laser Doppler flowmetry application in assessment of skin microcirculation in diabetes

This review includes results of scientific and clinical use of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in patients with diabetes mellitus. LDF is a non-invasive method for the quantitative evaluation of microcirculation, which can assess microcirculatory rhythms and conduct functional tests with various impacts, allowing the exploration of regulatory mechanisms of microcirculation. LDF reveals specific diabetes changes in the regulatory function of microcirculation. Microcirculation disturbances, which are traditionally associated with the pathogenesis of complications, also occur in patients with early disorders of carbohydrate metabolism and may precede the manifestation of diabetes. However, this method is still not applied in clinical practice. In this review, we analysed factors limiting the implementation of LDF in practical medicine and suggest ways to improve its clinical significance.

CE: Assessing Patients During Septic Shock Resuscitation

: In 2015, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign six-hour bundle was updated. The revised version now recommends documenting the reassessment of volume status and tissue perfusion after initial fluid resuscitation through a repeated focused examination. This article addresses the practice and interpretation of two components of this examination in adults: capillary refill time and skin mottling score. It further discusses how to best integrate these noninvasive parameters into the care of patients undergoing resuscitation for septic shock.

A randomized trial comparing terlipressin and noradrenaline in patients with cirrhosis and septic shock

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The choice of vasopressor for treating cirrhosis with septic shock is unclear. While noradrenaline in general is the preferred vasopressor, terlipressin improves microcirculation in addition to vasopressor action in non-cirrhotics. We compared the efficacy and safety of noradrenaline and terlipressin in cirrhotics with septic shock.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Cirrhotics with septic shock underwent open label randomization to receive either terlipressin (n=42) or noradrenaline (n=42) infusion at a titrated dose. The primary outcome was mean arterial pressure (MAP) >65 mm Hg at 48 h.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were comparable between the terlipressin and noradrenaline groups.SBP and pneumonia were major sources of sepsis. A higher proportion of patients on terlipressin were able to achieve MAP >65 mm of Hg (92.9% vs 69.1% P=.005) at 48 h. Subsequent discontinuation of vasopressor after hemodynamic stability was better with terlipressin (33.3% vs 11.9%, P<.05). Terlipressin compared to noradrenaline prevented variceal bleed (0% vs 9.5%, P=.01) and improved survival at 48 h (95.2% vs 71.4%, P=.003). Percentage lactate clearance (LC) is an independent predictor of survival [P=.0001, HR=3.9 (95% CI: 1.85-8.22)] after achieving the target MAP.Therapy related adverse effect were comparable in both the arms (40.5% vs 21.4%, P=.06), mostly minor (GradeII-88%) and reversible.

CONCLUSIONS

Terlipressin is as effective as noradrenaline as a vasopressor in cirrhotics with septic shock and can serve as a useful drug. Terlipressin additionally provides early survival benefit and reduces the risk of variceal bleed. Lactate clearance is a better predictor of outcome even after achieving target MAP, suggesting the role of microcirculation in septic shock.

The value of blood lactate kinetics in critically ill patients: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The time course of blood lactate levels could be helpful to assess a patient's response to therapy. Although the focus of published studies has been largely on septic patients, many other studies have reported serial blood lactate levels in different groups of acutely ill patients.

METHODS

We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Science Direct, and Embase until the end of February 2016 plus reference lists of relevant publications. We selected all observational and interventional studies that evaluated the capacity of serial blood lactate concentrations to predict outcome. There was no restriction based on language. We excluded studies in pediatric populations, experimental studies, and studies that did not report changes in lactate values or all-cause mortality rates. We separated studies according to the type of patients included. We collected data on the number of patients, timing of lactate measurements, minimum lactate level needed for inclusion if present, and suggested time interval for predictive use.

RESULTS

A total of 96 studies met our criteria: 14 in general ICU populations, five in general surgical ICU populations, five in patients post cardiac surgery, 14 in trauma patients, 39 in patients with sepsis, four in patients with cardiogenic shock, eight in patients after cardiac arrest, three in patients with respiratory failure, and four in other conditions. A decrease in lactate levels over time was consistently associated with lower mortality rates in all subgroups of patients. Most studies reported changes over 6, 12 or 24 hrs, fewer used shorter time intervals. Lactate kinetics did not appear very different in patients with sepsis and other types of patients. A few studies suggested that therapy could be guided by these measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

The observation of a better outcome associated with decreasing blood lactate concentrations was consistent throughout the clinical studies, and was not limited to septic patients. In all groups, the changes are relatively slow, so that lactate measurements every 1-2 hrs are probably sufficient in most acute conditions. The value of lactate kinetics appears to be valid regardless of the initial value.

Toe-to-room temperature gradient correlates with tissue perfusion and predicts outcome in selected critically ill patients with severe infections

Background

Microcirculatory disorders leading to tissue hypoperfusion play a central role in the pathophysiology of organ failure in severe sepsis and septic shock. As microcirculatory disorders have been identified as strong predictive factors of unfavourable outcome, there is a need to develop accurate parameters at the bedside to evaluate tissue perfusion. We evaluated whether different body temperature gradients could relate to sepsis severity and could predict outcome in critically ill patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

Method

We conducted a prospective observational study in a tertiary teaching hospital in France. During a 10-month period, all consecutive adult patients with severe sepsis or septic shock who required ICU admission were included. Six hours after initial resuscitation (H6), we recorded the hemodynamic parameters and four temperature gradients: central-to-toe, central-to-knee, toe-to-room and knee-to-room.

Results

We evaluated 40 patients with severe sepsis (40/103, 39 %) and 63 patients with septic shock (63/103, 61 %). In patients with septic shock, central-to-toe temperature gradient was significantly higher (12.5 [9.2; 13.8] vs 6.9 [3.4; 12.0] °C, P < 0.001) and toe-to-room temperature gradient significantly lower (1.2 [−0.3; 5.2] vs 6.0 [0.6; 9.5] °C, P < 0.001) than in patients with severe sepsis. Overall ICU mortality rate due to multiple organ failure (MOF) was 21 %. After initial resuscitation, toe-to-room temperature gradient was significantly lower in patients dead from MOF than in the survivors (−0.2 [−1.1; +1.3] °C vs +3.9 [+0.5; +7.2] °C, P < 0.001) and the difference in gradients increased during the first 24 h. Furthermore, toe-to-room temperature gradient was related to tissue perfusion parameters such as arterial lactate level (r = −0.54, P < 0.0001), urine output (r = 0.37, P = 0.0002), knee capillary refill time (r = −0.42, P < 0.0001) and mottling score (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Toe-to-room temperature gradient reflects tissue perfusion at the bedside and is a strong prognosis factor in critically ill patients with severe infections.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13613-016-0164-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.