Crit Care Resusc
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The cardiac output (CO) response to sepsis is typically measured in the intensive care unit after modification by fluid and/or vasoactive drug resuscitation and found to be hyperdynamic. In contrast, the native (preresuscitation) CO in human sepsis is poorly defined. ⋯ Data about the native CO in human sepsis are scant because therapeutic intervention usually precedes measurement. From the limited data available, it appears that most patients are in a normodynamic haemodynamic state at presentation, and cardiac performance also seems to be impaired at the earliest stage of sepsis. As initial resuscitation is partly predicated on assumptions about the underlying cardiovascular physiology, our findings suggest the need to address this knowledge deficit in the management of patients with severe sepsis.