Attenuation of postoperative noradrenaline need by nitric oxide inhibition using L-NMMA

In the present report we describe that NG-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate, a non-specific nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor, administered at 1 mg kg(-1) h(-1) to a patient with critical hypotension following mitral valve surgery combined with passive containment surgery, increased the urinary output and arterial blood pressure while the need for noradrenaline was rapidly attenuated. Again increasing the noradrenaline infusion in the presence of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate caused a dramatic increase of the blood pressure.