Microcirculatory monitoring in septic patients: Where do we stand?

Microcirculatory alterations play a pivotal role in sepsis-related morbidity and mortality. However, since the microcirculation has been a "black box", current hemodynamic management of septic patients is still guided by nnacrocirculatory parameters. In the last decades, the development of several technologies has shed some light on microcirculatory evaluation and monitoring, and the possibility of incorporating nnicrocirculatory variables to clinical practice no longer seems to be beyond reach. The present review provides a brief summary of the current technologies for microcirculatory evaluation, and attempts to explore the potential role and benefits of their integration to the resuscitation process in critically ill septic patients. (C) 2016 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved