Vasopressin for treatment of hemodynamic disorders

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Vol. 44; no. 2; p. 167
• Main Authors: Adukauskiene, Dalia, Sirvinskas, Edmundas, Kevelaitis, Egidijus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Lithuanian
• Published: Switzerland 01-01-2008
• Subjects: Adult; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dilatation, Pathologic; Heart - drug effects; Heart Arrest - drug therapy; Homeostasis; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Kidney - drug effects; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - drug effects; Receptors, Vasopressin - classification; Receptors, Vasopressin - physiology; Resuscitation; Shock - drug therapy; Shock - etiology; Shock - mortality; Shock - physiopathology; Shock, Septic - drug therapy; Shock, Septic - mortality; Survival Analysis; Tachycardia - drug therapy; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vasoconstrictor Agents - administration & dosage; Vasoconstrictor Agents - adverse effects; Vasoconstrictor Agents - pharmacology; Vasoconstrictor Agents - therapeutic use; Vasodilation; Vasopressins - administration & dosage; Vasopressins - adverse effects; Vasopressins - pharmacology; Vasopressins - physiology; Vasopressins - therapeutic use; Ventricular Fibrillation - drug therapy
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina44020021

Vasopressin is a 9-amino acid peptide synthesized by magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamus and released from posterior pituitary gland. The primary physiological role of vasopressin is the maintenance of fluid homeostasis. In this review, the classification of vasopressin receptors, namely V1 vascular, V2 renal, V3 pituitary, oxytocin receptors, and purinergic receptors, and the effects of vasopressin on vascular smooth muscles, the heart, and the kidneys are discussed. Mortality rates of vasodilatory (or distributive), for example septic shock, are high. The use of vasopressin is an alternative therapy for vasodilatory shock with better outcome. Vasopressin is effective in resuscitation of adults after ventricular fibrillation or pulseless tachycardia, when epinephrine is not effective.