Noninvasive cardiac output monitoring in septic shock patients: A retrospective study on hemodynamic status and outcomes

Septic shock is a frequent condition in emergency departments, requiring rapid hemodynamic assessment. Noninvasive cardiac output monitoring (NICOM) offers a convenient method for evaluating these patients. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 50 septic shock patients (34 males, 16 females) from a cohort of 627 NICOM cases in northern Taiwan emergency department between January 2020 and December 2021. Patients were classified into normal and high stroke volume variation percentage groups, and survivors versus non-survivors. The high stroke volume variation percentage group had an older average age (72.1 vs 59.5, P = .004) and required more fluid resuscitation before inotropic agents (1322 mL vs 864 mL, P = .043). Non-survivors were older (77.6 vs 64.7 years, P = .013), had higher NT-proBNP levels (655 vs 307, P = .029), and longer ICU stays (3.7 vs 1.2 days, P = .007). The overall mortality rate was 22%. NICOM is a valuable tool for guiding fluid resuscitation in septic shock patients. Further studies are recommended to refine its application.