No abstract

Forty-five cases of cervical necrotizing fasciitis are reported, and their clinical, bacteriologic, and therapeutic implications are considered. Fasciitis was of dental origin in 78% of cases, pharyngeal in 16%, and surgical or posttraumatic in 6%. The condition extended to the face in 22% of cases, to the lower part of the neck in 56%, and to the mediastinum in 40%. Soft-tissue cultures were positive in 78% of cases. Anaerobes were isolated along with aerobes in 49% of cases (mean, 2.2 isolates per patient) and in pure culture in 22%. Treatment included surgical debridement and drainage and the administration of antibiotics active against both anaerobic and gram-negative aerobic bacteria. Hyperbaric oxygen was used for adjunctive treatment. The bacteria involved did not affect clinical manifestations, extension, or mortality. The survival rate among our patients was 78%. Mortality was significantly higher among cases with mediastinal extension (44% vs. 7%; P < .01); thus the prompt recognition and drainage of sites of mediastinal extension are of critical importance. Other risk factors for death were an age of > 70 years, underlying diabetes, the development of septic shock within 24 hours after admission, and prolonged prothrombin time.

To compare skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow at rest and during reactive hyperemia in septic patients, a prospective, controlled trial was conducted on 16 patients with severe sepsis and a control group of 10 patients free of infection in the intensive care unit of a university hospital. Systemic hemodynamics, whole-body oxygen transport, and skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow at rest and during reactive hyperemia were measured. Reactive hyperemia was produced by arrest of leg blood flow with a pneumatic cuff; on completion of the 3 min ischemic phase the occluding cuff was rapidly deflated to 0. Hemodynamic and oxygen-derived variables were determined invasively. Skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow data were obtained using a laser Doppler flowmetry technique and values expressed in millivolts. Whole-body oxygen delivery in septic patients was increased compared with control subjects. Resting skeletal muscle blood flow was decreased in septic patients compared with control subjects (233 +/- 52 versus 394 +/- 93 mV; p < 0.05). Peak flow during reactive hyperemia was also decreased in septic patients compared with control subjects (380 +/- 13 versus 2,033 +/- 853 mV; p < 0.05). Cyclic variation in blood flow (vasomotion) was observed in control subjects but not in septic patients. Skeletal muscle microvascular perfusion is altered in patients with severe sepsis despite normal or elevated whole-body oxygen delivery. These microvascular abnormalities may further compromise tissue nutrient flow and may contribute to the development of organ failure in septic patients.

No abstract

To test the hypothesis whether or not dobutamine or dopamine infusion increases gastric mucosal perfusion, a prospective randomized crossover trial was conducted on 10 septic patients in the intensive care unit of a university hospital. Systemic hemodynamic, oxygen transport, and gastric perfusion assessed by gastric intramucosal pH and laser Doppler flowmetry were measured at baseline and after administration of dobutamine or dopamine (5 micrograms/kg/min). Both increased oxygen transport. In response to dobutamine, gastric mucosal blood flow increased (+32 +/- 14% from baseline; p < 0.05), gastric tonometered PCO2 and gastric arterial PCO2 difference decreased (58 +/- 7 versus 52 +/- 7 mm Hg; p < 0.05; 16.8 +/- 7.0 versus 10.5 +/- 7.2 mm Hg; p < 0.05), and intramucosal pH increased (7.23 +/- 0.05 versus 7.29 +/- 0.06; p < 0.05). In response to dopamine, gastric mucosal blood flow decreased (-28 +/- 8% from baseline; p < 0.05), gastric tonometered PCO2, gastric-arterial PCO2 difference, and calculated intramucosal pH were unchanged (58 +/- 7 versus 61 +/- 9 mm Hg, ns; 16.8 +/- 7.0 versus 18.9 +/- 8.4 mm Hg, ns; 7.24 +/- 0.05 versus 7.21 +/- 0.06, ns). We speculated that despite an oxygen transport increase, dobutamine and dopamine have affected differently gastric mucosal perfusion in septic patients.