Endotoxin Shock

THE USE of corticosteroids in shock is a subject of much recent interest.¹⁻¹⁵Although varied claims have been made for the effectiveness of these agents in shock, there appear to have been no adequately controlled studies in clinical shock.¹⁶There is evidence that corticosteroids are protective to dogs⁴,⁷,⁸,¹¹and other animals¹⁻³in endotoxin shock. Different theories about the protective actions of steroids have been advanced based on clinical and animal studies.⁴,¹¹,¹³,¹⁷⁻²⁰ The present study was designed to investigate the survival and early hemodynamic effects of the synthetic corticosteroid, methylprednisolone sodium succinate (Solu-Medrol), on pulmonary and peripheral vascular beds when administered to dogs following an 80% lethal dose ofEscherichia coliendotoxin. Methods Experiments were carried out on 82 adult mongrel dogs of both sexes, anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital, 30 mg/kg body weight, administered intravenously. A series of survival experiments was carried out on 30 dogs