“Intensive Care Medicine”, the most renowned scientific publication on intensive care medicine, has recently published the preliminary results of a research conducted at Hospital da Luz Lisboa by André Rosa Alexandre , internist and intensivist doctor. This is a research project financed by Luz Saúde Clinical Research Support Programme . “The purpose is to solve the problem of monitoring microcirculation in patients with septic shock via a highly innovating way”, explains André Rosa Alexandre. “The solution was first globally tested at Hospital da Luz Lisboa”, he adds. The paper: Published on February 17, has for title “ Optical coherence tomography angiography as a novel tool to assess microcirculatory dysfunction in septic shock ”; Reports the preliminary results of the project, which were very positive, and the article may be consulted here: https://rdcu.be/eahHp Has for coauthors Ana Teresa Leitão (Nova Medical School) and Pedro Póvoa (ULS Lisboa Ocidental – Hospital de S. Francisco Xavier); Has counted in image gathering with the collaboration of Hospital da Luz Lisboa Ophthalmology Department. Optical coherence tomography angiography, known as OCTA, is a frequently used exam in ophthalmology for the diagnosis of diverse optical diseases. It is non-invasive and allows to capture high-resolution images of the eye microvasculature in seconds. Microcirculatory dysfunction (blood circulation at the level of smaller vessels) is a distinctive feature of septic shock, contributing to more extensive organ failure and mortality, its monitoring being fundamental in intensive care. “The OCTA represents a promising alternative to monitor microcirculation”, argue the authors of this paper, since it does not have the limitations of the means presently applied (time-consuming, and requiring complex collection and the analysis of multiple images to be interpreted), thus more suitable for research. “With OCTA”, they claim, “a realistic opportunity of microcirculation monitoring in clinical routine opens, with the potential to improve risk stratification, therapeutics and prognosis of patients in septic shock”.
