Microcirculatory Dysfunction

Choroidal OCT may provide information about microvascular function, perfusion pressure, or vascular leakage, but larger studies are needed before clinical use. Sublingual capillary perfusion in haemorrhagic shock may predict multiorgan failure better than serum lactate or systolic blood pressure. Circulatory shock affects approximately 30% of intensive care patients and involves life-threatening failure of central organ perfusion. Macrovascular targets such as blood pressure and cardiac output can improve large-vessel physiology but do not necessarily describe microcirculatory perfusion. Microcirculatory dysfunction is central to end-organ injury in critical illness.