Alteration of the Beta-Adrenergic Pathway in the Septic Heart

Sepsis syndrome and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) are characterized by a diffuse, ineffective tissue and cellular utilization of oxygen, and hemodynamic collapse with peripheral vasodilation and myocardial depression. Although the mechanisms responsible for sepsis-induced myocardial depression remain debatable, various investigators have focused during recent years on the influence of sepsis on myocardial function. Clinical and experimental studies that have attempted to assess cardiac function indicate the presence of true, intrinsic myocardial depression, independent of changes in load or heart rate.