Intensive care medicine
-
Intensive care medicine · Nov 2014
My paper 20 years later: effects of dobutamine on the VO2/DO 2 relationship.
Oxygen uptake (VO₂) is independent of oxygen delivery (DO₂) over a wide range of values, because Ov extraction can readily adapt to changes in DO₂. However, VO₂ can become DO₂-dependent in acute circulatory failure. ⋯ The relationship between VO₂ and DO₂ remains an important concept. Abnormal global VO₂/DO₂ dependency does not exist in stable, critically ill patients, but can exist in circulatory shock of all etiologies. It can also occur regionally in septic patients, and microcirculatory alterations may contribute. Patient management should be titrated individually with careful assessment to identify those who will benefit from increased DO₂.