Disparities between peripheral perfusion and sublingual and nailfold microcirculation in patients with septic shock and healthy volunteers
Authors' conclusion
In septic shock patients, CRT-a widespread vascular reactivity test- is associated with flow-related microcirculatory variables but not with diffusion-related parameters. Moreover, a normal CRT had limited ability to identify sublingual microcirculatory alterations.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with septic shock and healthy volunteers; sublingual and nailfold microcirculation by videomicroscopy, peripheral perfusion by capillary refill time (CRT) and perfusion index (PI)
- Participants
- 29 vs 34
- Exposure
- Septic shock patients vs healthy volunteers
- Septic shockn = 29
- Healthy volunteersn = 34reference
- Outcome
- Relationship between peripheral perfusion (CRT, PI) and sublingual and nailfold microcirculation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Septic shock: marked alterations in sublingual and nailfold microcirculation, prolonged CRT and reduced PI vs healthy volunteers
- Healthy volunteers: neither CRT nor PI associated with sublingual or nailfold microcirculatory variables
- Septic shock: CRT correlated with flow-related parameters but not with perfused vascular density
- PI and CRT correlated in both healthy volunteers and septic patients
- Nailfold microcirculation not associated with PI or CRT
- A proportion of patients with normal CRT had altered microcirculation
- ROC analysis: limited diagnostic performance of CRT for identifying altered microcirculation
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Disparities between peripheral perfusion and sublingual and nailfold microcirculation in patients with septic shock and healthy volunteers. J Crit Care. Published 22 September 2026. doi:10.
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