This study examines microcirculation characteristics in healthy individuals and septic shock patients at two different altitudes: Xining (2,260 m) and Nanjing (10 m).
It involved 62 participants, including 33 healthy volunteers and 29 septic shock cases, with microcirculation assessed using sidestream dark field imaging and analyzed via AVA3.0 software.
Results showed that healthy volunteers in Xining had significantly higher vessel density metrics compared to those in Nanjing, but with a lower microcirculation flow index; septic shock patients in both locations exhibited significantly lower vessel density than healthy individuals from their respective areas.