title: Norepinephrine as a potential aggravator of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm: two cases and argument for milrinone therapy.
abstract: Background. During hypertensive therapy for post-subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) symptomatic vasospasm, norepinephrine is commonly used to reach target blood pressures. Concerns over aggravation of vasospasm with norepinephrine exist. Objective. To describe norepinephrine temporally related deterioration in neurological examination of two post-SAH patients in vasospasm. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed two charts of patients with delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) post-SAH who deteriorated with norepinephrine infusions. Results. We identified two patients with DCI post-SAH who deteriorated during hypertensive therapy with norepinephrine. The first, a 43-year-old male presented to hospital with DCI, failed MABP directed therapy with rapid deterioration in exam with high dose norepinephrine and MABP of 140-150 mm Hg. His exam improved on continuous milrinone and discontinuation of norepinephrine. The second, a 39-year-old female who developed DCI on postbleed day 8 responded to milrinone therapy upfront. During further deterioration and after angioplasty, norepinephrine was utilized to drive MABP to 130-140 mm Hg. Progressive deterioration in examination occurred after angioplasty as norepinephrine doses escalated. After discontinuation of norepinephrine and continuation of milrinone, function dramatically returned but not to baseline. Conclusions. The potential exists for worsening of DCI post-SAH with hypertensive therapy directed by norepinephrine. A potential role exists for vasodilation and inotropic directed therapy with milrinone in the setting of DCI post-SAH.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurosurgery, University of Manitoba, GB-1 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3A 1R9.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Zeiler
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurosurgery, University of Manitoba, GB-1 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3A 1R9.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silvaggio
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurosurgery, University of Manitoba, GB-1 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3A 1R9.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.affiliation: Section of Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Room GC425, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gillman
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurosurgery, University of Manitoba, GB-1 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3A 1R9.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: West