Sepsis and septic shock – is a microcirculation a main player?

Shock, defined at a cellular level, is a condition in which oxygen delivery to the cells is not sufficient to sustain cellular activity and support organ function. The central role of microcirculation in providing oxygen to the cells makes it of prime importance in determining organ function. In sepsis and septic shock, macrocirculatory alterations and microcirculatory dysfunction participate concurrently in the pathophysiology of organ failure. Haemodynamic coherence in shock is a condition in which normalization of systemic haemodynamic variables results in simultaneous amelioration in the perfusion of the microcirculation and restoration of tissue oxygenation as a final result. Septic shock is most frequently characterized by a lack of microcirculatory recruitment despite of macrocirculatory successful resuscitation. The lack of haemodynamic coherence between macrocirculation and microcirculation in septic patients results in treatment failure and increased mortality. The monitoring of microcirculation and the effects of its changes are an important area of future clinical research and treatment modification.