A prospective observational study to explore the correlation of peripheral arterial pulse/resistance index, organ function, and inflammation in patients with septic shock.

Introduction: The evaluation of the functional status of blood vessels, especially the arterial system, plays a very important role in the judgment of the condition of septic shock patients and the guidance of resuscitation programs and the judgment of the therapeutic effect. We aimed to design an observational study protocol to explore the correlation of peripheral arterial pulse/resistance index, organ function and inflammation in patients with septic shock.

Methods And Analysis: A total of 60 patients with septic shock in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from June 2020 to September 2020 and 20 healthy volunteers will be enrolled. Total of 60 patients with septic shock will be randomly divided into 20 groups by lot method. Group 1: fluid resuscitation; Group 2: fluid resuscitation + norepinephrine; Group 3: fluid resuscitation + norepinephrine + ulinastatin; Group 4: healthy control group. Fluid resuscitation is an early goal-directed fluid resuscitation in which norepinephrine is adjusted by a senior intensive care unit specialist for clinical presentation and ulinastatin is pumped at 20,000 U/h. Index including vascular ultrasound, inflammatory factors, organ function will be collected and analyzed.

Discussion: Existing studies on septic shock focus on hemodynamics of the heart, brain, and kidney, while the differences in blood flow between peripheral blood vessels and protective renal vessels may be consistent, and imaging analysis is still lacking. This study protocol aims to explore the correlation of peripheral arterial pulsation index/resistance index, organ function, and inflammation in patients with septic shock.

Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical trial registry: ChiCTR2000031565.