• Marilee D Obritsch, Rose Jung, Douglas N Fish, and Robert MacLaren.
• University of Colorado Hospital, Denver, CO 80262, USA.
• Ann Pharmacother. 2004 Jul 1;38(7-8):1117-22.

BackgroundSmall studies have reported that vasopressin improves hemodynamic instability in patients with septic shock.ObjectiveTo determine whether vasopressin infusion increases blood pressure, decreases catecholamine vasopressor use, and improves renal function in a large patient population with septic shock when used in a clinical setting.MethodsA retrospective chart audit was conducted of critically ill patients who received vasopressin infusion for septic shock from January 2000 through September 2002. Demographic, hemodynamic, laboratory, vasopressor, and adverse event data were collected. Statistical methods included ANOVA with Tukey's test for post hoc analysis.ResultsA total of 102 of 353 patients met study criteria. The mean +/- SD vasopressin dosage regimen was 0.11 +/- 0.17 units/min for 53.8 +/- 71.5 hours. Compared with baseline, vasopressin infusion improved mean arterial pressure (MAP) by 15% within one hour (p < 0.05), reduced heart rate by 9% within 4 hours (p < 0.05), and reduced hourly dopamine dosage by 25% within 8 hours (p < 0.05). These effects persisted through 96 hours. Other hemodynamic variables and catecholamine vasopressor usage parameters were not statistically different from baseline. Urine output, serum creatinine, and serum sodium concentrations were not statistically changed from baseline. Adverse events possibly associated with vasopressin infusion included ischemic digits/extremities, myocardial infarction, and hyponatremia.ConclusionsVasopressin infusion was effective in increasing MAP and reducing heart rate while decreasing the dopamine dosage in patients with septic shock. Comparative studies with catecholamine vasopressors are needed to define the optimal role of vasopressin in septic shock therapy. In the meantime, vasopressin infusion at

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