Abstract
Introduction The management of septic shock and refractory septic shock is essential in preventing sepsis-related death. The handheld vital microscope is a new modality of investigation for sepsis for microcirculatory assessment. This study aimed to identify predictors of inotrope requirements among patients with early sepsis and impending septic shock with particular reference to sublingual microcirculation assessment parameters. Methodology We conducted an observational cross-sectional hospital-based study in central India. The formal sample size was calculated to be 52 patients using a convenient sampling technique. The study was initiated with ethics approval (IHEC-LOP/2019/ MD0090) with consent from the patients. We used the MicroScan (MicroVision Medical, Netherlands) Video Microscope System (No.16A00102) to obtain sidestream dark-field imaging along with the AVA 4.3C software (MicroVision Medical). Results Of 51 cases, 60.8% were women, and 39.2% were men, and the study population had a mean age of 41.0 ± 14.9 years. Patients were recruited from medical wards (64.7%) and emergency departments (35.3%). The most common site of infection was gastrointestinal (33.3%), followed by respiratory infections (25.5%) and genitourinary infections (11.8%). The quick sequential organ failure assessment score was 2.0 ± 0.1. Eight patients required inotropes, and six patients died. High respiratory rates and lactate levels were important predictors of inotrope requirements in patients with early sepsis. Sublingual microcirculatory parameters at baseline did not significantly affect the requirement of inotropes consequently. Conclusions Sublingual microscopy is a suggested tool for the management of sepsis. However, without clearly defined cut-off values, handheld vital microscopy could not predict fluid responsiveness among patients with early sepsis. Also, it would be difficult to incorporate this technology into regular practice without equipment upgrades and image acquisition software.