Figure 1.
Cardiac function curve showing the relationship between preload and stroke volume (noting that cardiac output = heart rate × stroke volume).
At a lower preload the stroke volume is highly sensitive to changes in preload. At a higher preload, further increases in preload lead to a reduced increase in stroke volume (the Frank-Starling mechanism). Stroke volume is also increased in the setting of increased sympathetic nervous system activation or exogenously administered inotropes. A: At rest in a person with a normal heart B: Increased sympathetic nervous system activation or exogenously administered inotropic therapy.
Figure 2.
Management of the patients.
Table 1.
Baseline demographics of the patients, all values are means (95% CI).
Table 2.
Outcome by fluid load.
Table 3.
Change in variables with fluid loading n = 24.
Table 4.
Baseline demographics by resuscitation agent (mean (95% CI)).
Table 5.
Outcomes by resuscitation agent.
Figure 3.
Relationship between baseline CVP and volume of fluid required to resuscitate patient (p = 0.87 rs = 0.04).
Blue dots survivors, red dots deaths.
Table 6.
Response to resuscitation agents (mean Δ (95% CI)).
Table 7.
Correlation between ΔCVP and ΔPAoP.
Figure 4.
Relationship between change in base deficit against change in cardiac index with fluid loading (p = 0.95 rs = 0.01).
Blue dots survivors, red dots deaths.