Previous research reported that administration of esmolol decreased the cardiac workload and safely preserved myocardial function by reducing the heart rate in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock [26]. Similarly, administration of safflower yellow in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock was associated with decreases in the heart rate, which confer benefits such as lengthening of coronary diastolic perfusion time, improvement of coronary perfusion, and alleviation of myocardial ischemia and hypoxia. Consistent with improvement of organ perfusion in, for example, the kidney, urine volume per hour significantly increased with the use of safflower yellow.
Safflower yellow also improved respiratory function. After treatment, respiratory frequency decreased, and respiratory frequency in the safflower yellow group was significantly lower than in the control group. This decrease in respiratory frequency reduced the work of breathing, alleviated respiratory distress, and decreased oxygen consumption. Furthermore, the patients in the study group showed evident increases in PaO2 as compared with the control group, representing an increased tissue oxygen supply.