title: Usefulness of Intracoronary Epinephrine in Severe Hypotension during Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Life-threatening hypotension during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is devastating for the patient and is associated with fatal adverse outcomes. The aim of our study was to assess the usefulness of intracoronary epinephrine in severe hypotension unresponsive to other measures during PCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the Pusan National University Yangsan hospital cardiac catheterization laboratory database to identify patients who underwent PCI from December 2008 to July 2012. The outcomes were changes of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) before and after intracoronary epinephrine and in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 patients who were initially stable and received intracoronary epinephrine for severe hypotension during PCI were included. Following administration of intracoronary epinephrine (dose 181±24.8 microgram), systolic and diastolic BP (from 53.8±13.0 mm Hg up to 112.8±21.2 mm Hg, from 35±7.6 mm Hg up to 70.6±12.7 mm Hg, respectively) and HR (from 39.4±5.1 beats/min up to 96.8±29.3 beats/min) were increased. Additionally, 21 patients (70%) showed hemodynamically acceptable responses to intracoronary epinephrine without the intraaortic balloon pump and temporary pacemaker during the PCI. In-hospital mortality was 17% (n=5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although our study was small, intracoronary epinephrine was found to be well tolerated and resulted in prompt and successful recovery from severe hypotension in most patients when other measures were ineffective. Intracoronary epinephrine could be a safe and useful measure in patients developing severe hypotension during PCI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Kook-Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Ku
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Gwon
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: June Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Coronary vessels; Epinephrine; Hypotension; Percutaneous coronary intervention