Vasopressor therapy in cardiac resuscitation

The standard 0.5 to 1.0 mg dose of adrenaline used in cardiac resuscitation may be inadequate on the basis of theoretical and experimental evidence. Well designed clinical trials are indicated to test the hypothesis that higher doses of adrenaline could be more effective in specific subgroups of people experiencing cardiac arrest. The success in resuscitation is related to the aortic diastolic pressure and the effectiveness of adrenaline relates to its peripheral vasopressor effect. Other catecholamines such as noradrenaline may be more efficacious, as could be non-adrenergic vasopressors. Clinical studies are required, however, to evaluate these potential alternatives.