Norepinephrine for hypotensive vasodilatation after cardiac surgery: impact on renal function.
OBJECTIVE
Norepinephrine use in patients after cardiac surgery is controversial because of the fear that norepinephrine might decrease kidney function through regional vasoconstriction. Accordingly, we studied the renal effects of norepinephrine use for hypotensive vasodilatation after cardiac surgery.


METHODS
Retrospective controlled study in the cardiothoracic ICU of tertiary hospital. PATIENTS. 100 cardiac surgery patients with post-operative hypotensive vasodilatation and 100 control cardiac surgery patients.


METHODS
Treatment of hypotension (MAP<70 mmHg) with continuous norepinephrine infusion.


RESULTS
We collected data on demographic and surgical characteristics, haemodynamics, serum creatinine and mortality. Just after surgery the norepinephrine group had a significantly higher mean central venous pressure, lower mean arterial pressure, and lower systemic vascular resistance index with a similarly elevated mean cardiac index. Despite norepinephrine administration at a mean peak dose of 7.3+/-6.4 micro g/min the mean post-operative change in creatinine was not different between two groups on days 0, 2 or 4 after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Norepinephrine does not increase post-operative serum creatinine concentrations in patients with hypotensive vasodilatation after cardiac surgery. Concerns related to its potential adverse effects on the kidney function in this setting appear unjustified.
Morimatsu
Hiroshi
H
Departments of Intensive Care and Medicine, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne University, Studley Road, Heidelberg, 3084, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Uchino
Shigehiko
S
Chung
John
J
Bellomo
Rinaldo
R
Raman
Jai
J
Buxton
Brian
B
D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014739:Victoria
D009638:Norepinephrine