Vasoactive use in early goal-directed therapy in dogs with severe sepsis and septic shock

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the changes in macrovascular and microvascular parameters in survivors (Sv) and non-survivors (non-Sv) dogs with severe sepsis and septic shock (SS&SS) in response to goal-directed hemodynamic optimization at the intensive care unit (ICU), and to evaluate norepinephrine (NE) and dobutamine (DT) ICU applications, and their effectiveness for predicting death. Thirty-five dogs with SS&SS were used. NE was given to 10 hypotensive dogs, despite one bolus of fluid therapy, at a constant infusion rate of 1.5 µg/kg/min for 2 h. If the clinical response was inadequate after 2 h, the rate of NE infusion was doubled (3.0 µg/kg/min). DT was administered to 5 dogs with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) (LVS’