Could resuscitation be based on microcirculation data? No

Introduction
In modern medical practice, shock resuscitation is usually targeted towards the restoration of conventional parameters, such as those based on blood pressure, acid/base indicators, and partial pressures of gases. Since these are only surrogate markers of shock, it is appealing to consider the addition of microcirculation data to better inform the physician about the true behaviour of the interface at which shock is most relevant. Recent advances in technology that allow for the acquisition of microcirculatory data, such as transcutaneous oximetry, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and non-invasive handheld video-microscopy (HVM), make this a tantalising prospect. However, technologies to monitor the microcirculation have been used within the research domain for decades without being adopted into clinical practice.