Cerebral blood flow is reduced in patients with sepsis syndrome

The relationship between sepsis-induced CNS dysfunction and changes in brain blood flow remains unknown, and animal studies examining the influence of sepsis on cerebral blood flow (CBF) do not satisfactorily address that relationship. We measured CBF and cerebrovascular reactivity to CO2 in nine pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCritical care medicine Vol. 17; no. 5; p. 399
Main Authors Bowton, D L, Bertels, N H, Prough, D S, Stump, D A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.1989
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Bacterial Infections - complications
Bacterial Infections - physiopathology
Carbon Dioxide - blood
Cerebrovascular Circulation
Coma - etiology
Coma - physiopathology
Female
Hemodynamics
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Xenon Radioisotopes
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Summary:The relationship between sepsis-induced CNS dysfunction and changes in brain blood flow remains unknown, and animal studies examining the influence of sepsis on cerebral blood flow (CBF) do not satisfactorily address that relationship. We measured CBF and cerebrovascular reactivity to CO2 in nine patients with sepsis syndrome using the 133Xe clearance technique. Mean CBF was 29.6 +/- 15.8 (SD) ml/100 g.min, significantly lower than the normal age-matched value in this laboratory of 44.9 +/- 6.2 ml/100 g.min (p less than .02). This depression did not correlate with changes in mean arterial pressure. Despite the reduction in CBF, the specific reactivity of the cerebral vasculature to changes in CO2 was normal, 1.3 +/- 0.9 ml/100 g.min/mm Hg. Brain blood flow is reduced in septic humans; the contribution of this reduction to the metabolic and functional changes observed in sepsis requires further study.
ISSN:0090-3493
DOI:10.1097/00003246-198905000-00004