HOW TO GUIDE VOLUME EXPANSION IN SEVERE SEPSIS AND SEPTIC SHOCK PATIENTS? POSSIBILITIES IN THE REAL WORLD

Early fluid administration is fundamental for the initial treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock patients. A large portion of suspected severe sepsis and septic shock patients can be quickly resuscitated with therapeutic tests until surrogate cardiac output markers, such as heart rate and urinary output, are normalized. Delaying volume expansion until invasive instrumentation is installed is not justifiable. When clinical stabilization is not achieved with initial fluid resuscitation, more careful, complete, and accurate monitoring should be started for both reversing tissue hypoxia and preventing fluid overload. This challenge requires appropriate knowledge of the physiological foundations governing the different monitoring method advantages and their respective limitations, therefore allowing the election of the best therapeutic measures for each different scenario.