Vasoactive use in early goal-directed therapy in dogs with severe sepsis and septic shock: survivors versus non-survivors

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the changes in macrovascular and microvascular parameters in survivors (Sv) and non-survivors (non-Sv) dogs with severe sepsis and septic shock (SS&SS) in response to goal-directed hemodynamic optimization at the intensive care unit (ICU), and to evaluate norepinephrine (NE) and dobutamine (DT) ICU applications, and their effectiveness for predicting death. Thirty-five dogs with SS&SS were used. NE was given to 10 hypotensive dogs, despite one bolus of fluid therapy, at a constant infusion rate of 1.5 µg/kg/min for 2 h. If the clinical response was inadequate after 2 h, the rate of NE infusion was doubled (3.0 µg/kg/min). DT was administered to 5 dogs with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) (LVS’