Background: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of blood warming during hemofiltration on global and regional hemodynamics, plasma lactate, and 24-h survival during septic shock.
Methods: Twenty anesthetized and mechanically ventilated sheep underwent induction of peritonitis and, 4 h later, were treated by hemofiltration with (n = 10) or without (n = 10) blood warming.
Results: In the group without blood warming, body temperature decreased after starting hemofiltration and remained below baseline. In the other animals, body temperature stabilized at baseline level during hemofiltration and increased to a maximum of 40.8 degrees C thereafter. The group without warming experienced a decrease in blood pressure (from 90 mmHg to 38 mmHg) and cardiac output (from 4.0 l/min to 2.3 l/min). Metabolic acidosis and the increase in lactate were less marked when temperature was maintained. None of the animals without warming but all of the animals with warming survived to 16 h.
Conclusions: Differences in temperature during hemofiltration resulted in striking differences in hemodynamics, metabolic acidosis, and survival rate in this clinically relevant experimental model of septic shock.