Pulmonary gas exchange after cardiopulmonary resuscitation with either vasopressin or epinephrine
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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Standardized Model of Ventricular Fibrillation and Advanced Cardiac Life Support in Swine
Published on: January 30, 2020
Alex Loeckinger1, Axel Kleinsasser, Volker Wenzel
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Leopold-Franzens University, Innsbruck, Austria.
Objective:
It is well established that epinephrine administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation results in pulmonary gas exchange disturbances. It is uncertain how vasopressin affects gas exchange after cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Design:
Prospective, randomized experimental study.
Setting:
Animal research laboratory.
Subjects:
Twenty domestic pigs.
Interventions:
Animals were subjected to ventricular fibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation by using either vasopressin or epinephrine. Hemodynamic and pulmonary gas exchange (multiple inert gas elimination technique) variables were recorded before cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 10, 30, 60, and 120 mins after return of spontaneous circulation when either epinephrine (control) or vasopressin was used.
Measurements And Main Results:
At 10 mins after return of spontaneous circulation, blood flow to low V /Q lung units was increased in animals treated with epinephrine (17.8 +/- 6 vs. 2.6 +/- 3%, mean +/- sd, p<.01). Resulting carbon dioxide elimination was impaired in animals treated with epinephrine but not in animals treated with vasopressin (PaCO2, 55 +/- 2 vs. 46 +/- 4 torr, p<.05). Thirty minutes after return of spontaneous circulation, blood flow to lung units with a normal VA /Q ratio was reduced in animals treated with epinephrine (79 +/- 1 vs. 84 +/- 12%, p<.05), resulting in a depressed PaO2 (147 +/- 4 vs. 127 +/- 10 torr, p<.05).
Conclusion:
Vasopressin compared with epinephrine for cardiopulmonary resuscitation resulted in better gas exchange variables in the early postresuscitation phase.
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