Please see Bibliography of References for a list of abstracts, manuscripts and posters.
Gerovasili V, Pierakos C, Dimopoulos S, Kaldara E, Kourtidou S, Sarafoglou S, Kravari M, Venetsanakos J, Tzanis G, Nanas S. Crit Care. 2007;11(Supp 2):S107-S108. Abstract P263.
Objectives: To evaluate skeletal muscle microcirculation by Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
Background: Skeletal muscle microcirculation is impaired in patients with CHF and this impairment seems to correlate with disease severity.
Methods: We evaluated forty nine patients with CHF (mean age:58±12,years) and twelve healthy volunteers. Of the CHF patients fourteen had end stage heart failure (ESCHF) and were undergoing treatment with intermittent inotropic agents’ infusion during the period of the study protocol. Thenar muscle tissue oxygen saturation (StO2%) was measured non-invasively by NIRS before, during and after 3-min occlusion of the brachial artery (occlusion technique).
Results: Patients with ESCHF (n=14) and CHF (n=35) presented a significant lower tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) than healthy subjects (75%±6, 77%±8 and 85%±5, p=0.001 respectively). The oxygen consumption rate during the occlusion of the brachial artery differed significantly between patients with ESCHF, CHF and healthy subjects (22.4%/min±9, 29%/min±10 and 38.1%/min±11.1, p=0.001 respectively). The reperfusion rate differed significantly between patients with ESCHF, CHF and healthy subjects (302%/min±136, 393%/min±134 and 480%/min±133, p=0.002 respectively).
Conclusions: Peripheral muscle microcirculation assessed by NIRS is impaired in CHF patients. The degree of dysfunction is associated with disease severity and acutely partially reversed with inotropic agents infusion.