The hemodynamic characteristics of septic shock and relationship with syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

To observe hemodynamic characteristics and the correlation with syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in patients with septic shock, so as to direct the treatment based on syndrome differentiation. A prospective observation was conducted. Sixty-eight patients with septic shock admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Dade Road General Hospital of Guangdong Hospital of TCM from January 2013 to July 2015 were enrolled. Pulse indicating continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) was used to monitor the hemodynamic changes, including heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (CVP), cardiac index (CI), global end diastolic volume index (GEDVI), extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), maximum rate of the increase in pressure (dPmax) and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), for assessment of hemodynamics. According to the CI, the patients were divided into two groups , i.e. high CI group (CI ≥ 50.0 mL×s(-1)×m(-2), n = 34) and low CI group (CI < 50.0 mL×s(-1)×m(-2), n = 34), and the clinical and hemodynamic characteristics of two groups were investigated. The TCM differentiation was conducted with "four syndromes and four methods", and the hemodynamic characteristics of different syndrome types were investigated, the correlation between the TCM syndrome factors and hemodynamic parameters was analyzed. The patients were divided into survival group and death group, and clinical parameters and hemodynamic characteristics were compared between two groups. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEII) score and blood glucose of low CI group were higher than those of high CI group [APACHEII score: 24.4±7.2 vs. 19.8±7.4, t = -2.279, P = 0.023; blood glucose (mmol/L): 9.7 (7.7, 14.6) vs. 6.7 (5.6, 10.0), Z = -2.257, P = 0.024], CI and GEDVI were lowered [CI (mL×s(-1)×m(-2)): 36.7±8.3 vs. 68.4±16.7, t = 10.285, P = 0.000; GEDVI (mL/m(2)): 689.0 (566.0, 883.8) vs. 838.5 (692.8, 1?247.3), Z = -2.711, P = 0.007], while SVRI was increased [kPa×s×L(-1)×m(-2): 248.7 (202.1, 324.5) vs. 143.4 (102.7, 171.4), Z = -5.336, P = 0.000]. Accompanied symptoms were found to occur more commonly in septic shock patients, and the most common syndrome elements were Qi deficiency syndrome (n = 45), blood stasis syndrome (n = 40), heat-toxin syndrome (n = 37), Fushi syndrome (n = 24) and Yin deficiency syndrome (n = 10), respectively. There was no significant difference in hemodynamic parameters among patients with five types of syndrome (all P > 0.05). However, only the CI of those with Qi deficiency syndrome was significantly lower than that of heat-toxin syndrome (mL×s(-1)×m(-2): 48.3±18.3 vs. 53.3±21.7, P < 0.05). While the results after removing the effect of accompanied symptoms showed that CI of Qi deficiency syndrome was significantly lower than that of non-Qi deficiency syndrome (mL×s(-1)×m(-2): 48.3±18.3 vs. 61.7±21.7, t = -2.783, P = 0.007), CI of heat-toxin syndrome was significantly higher than that of non-heat-toxin syndrome (mL×s(-1)×m(-2): 58.3±21.7 vs. 48.3±16.7, t = 2.133, P = 0.037), EVLWI of blood stasis syndrome was significantly lower than that of non-blood stasis syndrome [mL/kg: 10.0 (7.0, 15.1) vs. 14.9 (8.5, 26.8), Z = -2.075, P = 0.038]. Compared with survival group (n = 38), APACHEII score in death group (n = 30) was increased (25.8±8.4 vs. 19.1±5.4, t = -3.940, P = 0.000), the proportion of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was increased [60.0% (18/30) vs. 31.6% (12/38), χ (2) = 5.493, P = 0.019], HR was increased (bpm: 118.5±20.5 vs. 98.1±19.9, t = -4.157, P = 0.000), and the proportion of Qi deficiency syndrome was increased [86.7% (26/30) vs. 50.0% (19/38), χ (2) = 10.070, P = 0.002]. Patients with sepsis shock may be divided into high-output and low-resistance and low-output and high-resistance groups according to hemodynamics, with respective hemodynamic characteristics. Hemodynamic performance differed among different syndrome types, and there was a certain relationship. Hemodynamic monitoring with PiCCO was a useful supplement of TCM, which was good for the evidence-based medicine.