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Sepsis-Induced Cardiomyopathy: A Review Of Pathophysiologic Mechanisms., Anthony Flynn, Bhalaghuru Chokkalingam Mani, Paul J Mather

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Cardiac dysfunction is a well-recognized complication of severe sepsis and septic shock. Cardiac dysfunction in sepsis is characterized by ventricular dilatation, reduction in ejection fraction and reduced contractility. Initially, cardiac dysfunction was considered to occur only during the "hypodynamic" phase of shock. But we now know that it occurs very early in sepsis even during the "hyperdynamic" phase of septic shock. Circulating blood-borne factors were suspected to be involved in the evolution of sepsis induced cardiomyopathy, but it is not until recently that the cellular and molecular events are being targeted by researchers in a quest to understand this enigmatic …