TCM’s Shen-Fu improves hemodynamics for septic shock patients treated with early volume resuscitation

Researchers from Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China investigated the hemodynamic effect of shen-fu injection (SFI) in early volume resuscitation-treated septic shock patients. The results of their study were published in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine.

• SFI is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that has been used since ancient times for the treatment of cardiac diseases.
• To evaluate the hemodynamic effects of SFI, the researchers screened patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015.
• They selected 65 cases which they assigned to the SFI group (33 cases) and the control group (32 cases). The patients underwent mainly conventional treatment, including volume resuscitation, antibiotics treatment, and vasoactive drugs therapy.
• The researchers gave the SFI group an additional 100 mL of SFI intravenously every 12 hours. They also reported that the pulse indicator continuous cardiac output (PICCO) arterial catheters and vein catheters of all 65 patients were placed within an hour of septic shock diagnosis.
• The researchers examined the hemodynamic data recorded by the PICCO monitors at 0, 12, and 24 hours after catheter implantation and during early volume resuscitation.
• At 0 hours, they observed no significant differences between the hemodynamic indices of the two groups.
• At 12 and 24 hours, the hemodynamic indices of the SFI group significantly improved in comparison with the control group. These indices were cardiac index (CI), global end diastolic volume index (GEDI), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR).
• Meanwhile, they detected no significant changes in extra-vascular lung water index between the two groups.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that SFI can significantly improve hemodynamic indices like CI, GEDI, MAP, and HR in septic shock patients who have already undergone early volume resuscitation.

Fan KL, Wang JH, Kong L, Zhang FH, Hao H, Zhao H, Tian ZY, Yin MX, Fang H, Yang HH, Liu Y. EFFECT OF SHEN-FU INJECTION ON HEMODYNAMICS IN EARLY VOLUME RESUSCITATION TREATED SEPTIC SHOCK PATIENTS. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. 06 October 2017;25(1):59–63. DOI: 10.1007/s11655-017-2965-z