Septicemia and septic shock are the leading causes of death in intensive care units in the United States. The NIH Critical Care Medicine Dept. has developed a canine model of Human bacterial sepsis. This model closely human septic shock. Using the techniques of phosphorus-31 Magnetic Resource Spectroscopy (31PMRs) we have developed a method of studying the mechanisms underlying the myocardial depression of septic shock. Purpose bred beagles are intraperitoneally implanted with E Coli infected or sterile fibrin clots. Two days later, when myocardial depression has been shown to be maximal, a thoracotomy is performed under Halothane anesthesia. Surgery is used to place a coronary sinus and carotid artery catheters, and a left ventricular MRS Surface Coil. 31P MRS, myocardial oxygen consumption (MUO2), glucose, and lactate extraction are serially determined during a spectra have been obtained allowing for measurements of intracellular phosphocreative and adenosine triphosphate. In summary, during canine septic shock this protocol allows for correlations between cardiac function and metabolism at varying workloads.
