Safety of Peripherally Infused Sympathomimetic Vasopressors in the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department

Sympathomimetic vasopressors may be administered through a peripheral catheter, but there are limited data available on the safety of peripheral use.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the safety of peripherally infused sympathomimetic vasopressors.

A multicenter, retrospective observational study was conducted to evaluate patients who received peripheral vasopressors. The study's primary outcome was to assess the incidence of extravasation during the administration of peripheral vasopressors. Secondary outcomes include avoidance of central venous catheter (CVC) placement and institution protocol deviations.

There were 198 patients included in the study, of which 142 patients received norepinephrine, 48 patients received phenylephrine, and 8 patients received epinephrine peripherally. Extravasation events occurred in 11 (5.6%) patients. Seven patients required a pharmacologic antidote and 10 patients required a warm compress. No significant differences were seen in characteristics of patients who extravasated compared with those who did not. Protocol deviations identified during the study included 24 (12.1%) patients receiving doses above the protocol maximum, 19 (9.6%) with a body mass index above the protocol maximum, and 45 (22.7%) patients receiving peripheral vasopressor over 24 hours. The majority of patients were able to avoid CVC placement (59.1%).

Peripherally infused sympathomimetic vasopressors are safe to administer up to 24 hours with a low incidence of extravasation events while avoiding CVC placement in the majority of patients.