Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Since its original description in 1832, fluid resuscitation has become the cornerstone of early and aggressive treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock. However, questions remain about optimal fluid composition, dose, and rate of administration for critically ill patients. This article reviews pertinent physiology of the circulatory system, pathogenesis of septic shock, and phases of sepsis resuscitation, and then focuses on the type, rate, and amount of fluid administration for severe sepsis and septic shock, so providers can choose the right fluid, for the right patient, at the right time.
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Sepsis is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome that encompasses infections of many different types and severity. Not surprisingly, it has confounded most attempts to apply a single definition, which has also limited the ability to develop a set of reliable diagnostic criteria. It is perhaps best defined as the different clinical syndromes produced by an immune response to infection that causes harm to the body beyond that of the local effects of the infection.
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Sepsis is a common condition managed in the emergency department. Current diagnosis relies on physiologic criteria and suspicion of a source of infection using history, physical examination, laboratory studies, and imaging studies. ⋯ Current biomarkers for sepsis include lactate, troponin, and procalcitonin. This article discusses the use of lactate, procalcitonin, troponin, and novel biomarkers for use in sepsis.
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Vasopressor and inotropes are beneficial in shock states. Norepinephrine is considered the first-line vasopressor for patients with sepsis-associated hypotension. ⋯ Vasopressor and inotrope therapy has complex effects that are often difficult to predict; emergency providers should consider the physiology and clinical trial data. It is essential to continually reevaluate the patient to determine if the selected treatment is having the intended result.
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Sepsis is recognized by the presence of physiologic and laboratory changes that reflect the inflammatory response to infection on cellular and systemic levels. Comorbid conditions, such as cirrhosis, end-stage renal disease, and obesity, alter patients' susceptibility to infection and their response to it once present. ⋯ The physiologic, hematologic, and biochemical adjustments that accompany pregnancy and the puerperium introduce similar challenges. Emergency providers must remain vigilant for subtle alterations in the expected baseline for these conditions to arrive at appropriate management decisions.