Venous-to-Arterial Carbon Dioxide Gradient and Its Ratio to Arterial-central Venous Oxygen Content Difference in Assessing Oxygen Metabolism and Tissue Perfusion in Septic Shock: A Prospective Observational Study

Key Points

• This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide gradients in assessing oxygen metabolism and tissue perfusion in septic shock patients.
• Prospective observational design
• Measured Pcv-aCO₂ and Ca-cvO₂
• Compared these metrics against conventional markers of tissue perfusion
• Monitored patient outcomes based on these measurements.
• Higher Pcv-aCO₂ levels were linked to worse outcomes
• Pcv-aCO₂/Ca-cvO₂ ratios correlated with impaired oxygen metabolism
• These ratios provided earlier indicators of tissue hypoperfusion compared to traditional markers.

Abstract