title: Norepinephrine for hypotensive vasodilatation after cardiac surgery: impact on renal function.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Intensive Care and Medicine, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne University, Studley Road, Heidelberg, 3084, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morimatsu
authors.forename: Shigehiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Rinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellomo
authors.forename: Jai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buxton
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine