Vasopressin for the septic burn patient

Exogenous arginine vasopressin (VP) has been increasingly used in the hemodynamic management of critically ill patients with septic shock, but its use in septic burn patients has not been systematically examined.

To review our experience with the use of VP in septic burn patients.

Retrospective review of all patients who received VP at a tertiary care adult regional burn centre. Only patients who strictly met the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Criteria for sepsis at the time of VP initiation were analysed.

There were 30 septic burn patients treated on 43 distinct occasions with VP. This group had a mean (+/-S.D.) age of 49+/-19 years, a mean % TBSA burn of 41+/-15% and a 37% incidence of inhalation injury. A significant increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP), a significant decrease in heart rate (HR), and a trend towards increased urine output (UO) occurred following initiation of VP. When VP was added to an existing infusion of norepinephrine (NE), there was a significant NE sparing effect. VP was implicated in the death of one patient who developed diffuse upper gastrointestinal necrosis while on VP. Other complications in patients treated with VP included peripheral ischemia (2), skin graft failure (1) and donor site conversion (1). In all complications, VP had been administered in combination with prolonged NE infusions (mean of 10 microg/min over a mean of 177 h).

VP is a useful adjunctive pressor that spares NE requirements in septic burn patients, but its use is not without risks, particularly when VP is combined with sustained moderate to high infusions of NE.