A bedside ultrasound protocol to the measurement of the systemic vascular resistances: Preliminary results in the patients with sepsis.

Background: The use of the ultrasound (US) bedside examination is increasing for the detailed evaluation of the hemodynamic parameters, allowing the physicians to set the appropriate therapeutic strategies with greater precision.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the hemodynamic parameters (the cardiac output or CO, the central venous pressure or CVP and the systemic vascular resistance or SVR) in the patients with sepsis, by using a bedside US approach.

Methods: We consecutively enrolled n.82 patients of S.Andrea Hospital (n.47 with sepsis and n.35 without sepsis), examining the hemodynamic parameters by a bedside US evaluation.

Results: The incidence of sepsis was more than 50% of cases. The patients with sepsis presented higher comorbidity and polypharmacy (p < 0.01, p < 0.001), with increased creatinine (p < 0.001) and consequent esteemed glomerular filtration rate (p < 0.01), C-reactive protein (p < 0.01), SOFA (Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment) score (p < 1.58×10-7) and reduced SVR (p < 0.05). The SOFA score was inversely related to the SVR (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: To our best knowledge, this is the first study with a bedside US protocol to measure SVR, beyond the abdominal and cardiac qualitative evaluation.