The Annals of pharmacotherapy
-
Review Comparative Study
Oxygen transport goals in the resuscitation of critically ill patients.
To discuss the limitations of conventional monitoring techniques of shock and examine more recent monitoring techniques that are used to titrate therapies to attain supranormal oxygen transport goals. ⋯ Efforts to increase oxygen transport variables to supranormal values cannot be recommended routinely for all critically ill patients. Preoperative patients in early stages of hypovolemic or septic shock may benefit from therapies titrated to achieve supranormal goals, but patients in later stages of illnesses may be harmed by such attempts. Questions remain regarding how quickly and how long the oxygen transport variables should be elevated. The most effective and least toxic therapeutic interventions for increasing the variables need to be determined.