Hypoglycemia in Lethal Subhuman Primate Septic Shock.

Abstract : Recent research has documented progressively developing hypoglycemia in canine endotoxin shock. The purpose of the present study was to test these findings in a subhuman primate. Experiments were conducted on fasted baboons, anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital and infused with live E. coli organisms. Six of seven baboons died within 26 hours with a mean survival time of 15 hours. Mean systemic pressures declined gradually following onset of organism infusion. An initial variable period of hyperglycemia was observed in six animals followed by 4-15 hours of progressively developing hypoglycemia in all non-surviving animals. Insulin values in arterial blood decreased markedly within four hours after E. coli infusion and remained low (10-20% of control) in all non-surviving animals. Arterial blood lactate and serum potassium progressively rose in animals demonstrating the greatest degree of systemic hypotension, while pH remained relatively constant until preterminal periods.