Pulse transit time variability analysis in an animal model of endotoxic shock

The use of non-invasively measured pulse transit time (PTT) to monitor the cardiovascular systems in critically ill patients, like sepsis, can be of significant clinical value. In this study, the potential of PTT and its variability in cardiovascular system monitoring in a mechanically ventilated and anesthetized rabbit model of endotoxic shock was assessed. Eight adult New Zealand white rabbits, which were treated with endotoxin bolus infusion, were studied. Measurements of PTT, pre-ejection period (PEP), and vascular transit time (VTT) were obtained in pre- and post-intervention stages (before and 90 minutes after the administration of endotoxin). The decrease in mean PTT (p <; 0.05) and PEP (p <; 0.01) in the post-intervention stage reflected sympathetic activation, whilst the increase in respiratory variation in PTT (p <; 0.01), PEP (p <; 0.01), and VTT (p <; 0.01) could be attributed to an enhancement of respiratory variation in stroke volume associated with hypovolemia in endotoxic shock. The relationship between beat-to-beat variability in PTT and all other cardiovascular time series were further investigated through linear regression analysis, which revealed that PTT was most strongly correlated with VTT (R² ≥ 0.84 with positive slope). Computation of coherence and phase shift in the ventilating frequency band (HF: 0.50 - 0.75 Hz) showed that the respiratory variation in PTT was synchronized with both PEP and VTT (coherence > 0.84 with phase shift less than one cardiac beat). These results highlighted the potential value of PTT and its respiratory variation in characterizing the pathophysioloigcal hemodynamic change in endotoxic shock.