A comparison of epinephrine and vasopressin in a porcine model of cardiac arrest after rapid intravenous injection of bupivacaine.
In a porcine model, we compared the efficacy of epinephrine, vasopressin, or the combination of epinephrine and vasopressin with that of saline placebo on the survival rate after bupivacaine-induced cardiac arrest. After the administration of 5 mg/kg of a 0.5% bupivacaine solution i.v., ventilation was interrupted for 3 +/- 1 min (mean +/- SD) until asystole occurred. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated after 1 min of cardiac arrest. After 2 min of CPR, 28 animals received, every 5 min, epinephrine; vasopressin; epinephrine combined with vasopressin; or placebo i.v.. Three minutes after each drug administration, up to 3 countershocks (3, 4, and 6 J/kg) were administered; all subsequent shocks were 6 J/kg. Blood was drawn throughout the experiment for the determination of plasma bupivacaine concentration. In the vasopressin/epinephrine combination group, all pigs survived (P < 0.01 versus placebo); in the vasopressin group 5 of 7, in the epinephrine group 4 of 7, and in the placebo group none of 7 swine survived. The plasma concentration of total bupivacaine showed no significant difference among groups. In this model of bupivacaine-induced cardiac arrest, CPR with a combination of vasopressin and epinephrine resulted in significantly better survival rates than in the placebo group.


CONCLUSIONS
Although cardiovascular collapse occurs mostly immediately after rapid injection of a local anesthetic in the presence of anesthesiologists, resuscitation may be difficult, and the outcome is usually poor. In this model of bupivacaine-induced cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation with a combination of vasopressin and epinephrine resulted in significantly better survival rates than in the placebo group.
Mayr
Viktoria D
VD
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Leopold-Franzens-University, Innsbruck, Austria. viktoria.mayr@uibk.ac.at
Raedler
Claus
C
Wenzel
Volker
V
Lindner
Karl H
KH
Strohmenger
Hans-Ulrich
HU
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000818:Animals; D002045:Bupivacaine; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D013534:Survival; D013552:Swine; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D014667:Vasopressins; D002045:Bupivacaine; D004837:Epinephrine