Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Jul 1990
Dobutamine administration in septic shock: addition to a standard protocol.
Dobutamine administration has been shown to increase oxygen delivery in various conditions, but there are little data to document its effects in septic shock. We investigated the effects of dobutamine infusion at a rate of 5 micrograms/kg.min in 18 patients (mean 60 +/- 16 yr) with septic shock initially characterized by hypotension, oliguria, and hyperlactatemia in the presence of a documented source of sepsis. Early resuscitation had consisted of fluid administration and vasopressors when required. ⋯ Oxygen consumption (VO2) increased concurrently (from 137 +/- 42 to 162 +/- 66 ml/min.m2, p less than .002). MAP increased (from 68 +/- 9 to 76 +/- 11 mm Hg) in 12 patients and decreased moderately (from 76 +/- 18 to 69 +/- 17 mm Hg) in six patients. The two subgroups of patients had similar hemodynamic profiles before the dobutamine infusion, but vasopressor therapy was already used in one of the 12 patients in the first subgroup and in three of the six patients in the second subgroup (p less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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The incidence and consequences of fluid overload in the surgical ICU (SICU) have not been well defined, but may influence length of stay, days requiring mechanical ventilation, and mortality. Forty-eight consecutive patients admitted to our SICU were prospectively monitored for acute changes in weight and its impact on clinical management and outcome. When defined as a gain greater than 10% from their preoperative or premorbid weight (or an approximately 20% increase in total body water), 40% of patients had fluid overload. ⋯ When indexed by initial Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) mortality prediction scores, all groups had similar degrees of illness. On average, presumably due to volume limitations, patients were inadequately nourished during 85% of their SICU stay. Our results suggest that the morbidity of fluid overload can be significant, and warrants a fresh look at the methods of intraoperative fluid resuscitation.