Science Review: Vasopressin and the cardiovascular system part 2 – clinical physiology

Table 2 Clinical trials of low-dose vasopressin in vasodilatory shock states

Reference	Year	Trial	n	Patients	Findings
[4]	1997	Case series	5	Septic shock	A, B, C
[3]	1997	Matched cohort	19	Septic shock	A, B, D in septic group
			12	Cardiogenic shock
[5]	1999	RCT	10	Septic shock – trauma	A, B
[2]	2000	RCT	24	Septic shock	A, B, C, D
[94]	2001	Retrospective	60	Septic and postcardiotomy shock	A, B, ↓ CI
[95]	2001	Prospective, case-controlled	16	Septic shock	A, B, C
[7]	1998	Retrospective case series	40	Postbypass vasodilatory shock	A, B, D
[6]	1997	RCT Placebo: N/S	10	Vasodilatory shock post-LVAD implant	A, B in treatment arm; D in all
[8]	1999	Case series	20	Vasodilatory shock post-cardiac transplant	A, B
[9]	1999	Case series	11	Pediatric – vasodilatory shock postbypass	A, B, D
[10]	2000	Retrospective case series	50	Vasodilatory shock post-LVAD implantation	A, B
[69]	2002	Retrospective	41	Postcardiotomy shock	A, B
[11]	1999	Case series	10	Organ donors with vasodilatory shock A, D
[68]	2000	Case series	7	Milrinone – hypotension	A, B, C

Findings are classified as follows: A, increase in blood pressure; B, decrease or discontinuance of catecholamines; C, increase in urine output; and D, low plasma vasopressin levels in subjects. CI, cardiac index; LVAD, left ventricular assist device; N/S, normal saline; RCT, randomized controlled trial.

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