The Microcirculation System in Critical Conditions Caused by Abdominal Sepsis

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the microcirculation system in critical conditions caused by abdominal sepsis for a further differentiated approach to intensive care. Subjects and methods. Twenty-four patients with abdominal sepsis (mean age 42.9±0.9 years) were examined; a control group consisted of 35 apparently healthy individuals (mean age 40.1±2.1 years). Over 11 days, the microcirculatory bed was evaluated by cutaneous laser Doppler flowmetry by means of a ЛАКК-02 laser capillary blood flow analyzer made in the Russian Federation (LAZMA Research-and-Production Association), by using a basic light guide for percutaneous microcirculation studies. Results. Throughout the study, tissue blood perfusion remained in the patients with sepsis due to the higher effect of mainly active components of vascular tone regulation on the microvascular bed. In a poor outcome, there was a reduction in both active and passive regulatory effects on tissue perfusion chiefly due to local (myogenic) factors. Conclusion. The findings suggest that the patients with sepsis have microcirculatory regulation changes aimed at maintaining tissue perfusion. A follow-up of the microcirculation may be useful in choosing intensive care tactics and predicting disease outcome. Key words: sepsis, microcirculation, microvascular bed, micro blood flow, tissue perfusion.