Inclusion Criteria:  -  ICU patients with ECMO:  Hemodynamic support with vasopressors Procalcitonin level ≥ 1 ng/ml Invasive hemodynamic monitoring Written informed content  ICU patients with the septic shock of medical origin:  Signs of hypoperfusion: serum lactate >2 mmol/L, low central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) (<70%) or high ScvO2 (>85%), metabolic acidosis, oligo-anuria, high venous-to-arterial CO2-gap (dCO2 >6 mm Hg) Hemodynamic support with vasopressors Procalcitonin level ≥ 1 ng/ml Invasive hemodynamic monitoring Written informed content  Exclusion Criteria:  ICU patients with ECMO:  age < 18 years acute liver or kidney failure straight before transplantation the patient declines to participate in the study  ICU patients with the septic shock of medical origin:  Patients under 18 years Pregnancy (bHCG test positivity) Surgical intervention in context with the septic insult New York Heart Association IV heart failure Acute coronary syndrome Acute hematological malignancies Immunosuppression, systemic steroid therapy (>10mg prednisolone/day) Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and active AIDS Patients with donated organs Thrombocytopenia (<20.000/ml) More than 10%-of body surface area with third-degree burn