Clevidipine Induced Intrapulmonary Shunting in a Patient with Acute Type B Aortic Dissection

Clevidipine is a short acting calcium channel blocker commonly used to treat uncontrolled hypertension. The common side-effects include depression, dizziness, and headache. Hypoxia from intrapulmonary shunting after clevidipine use has not been widely reported in the literature. We present a case of acute type B aortic dissection treated with esmolol and clevidipine complicated by hypoxia which resolved post discontinuation of clevidipine.

Clevidipine may be used as an adjunct to beta blockers if the patient is still hypertensive or beta blockers are contraindicated.Intrapulmonary shunting leading to hypoxia is a rare complication of clevidipine therapy and should be suspected in an otherwise hypoxic patient in whom all other diagnoses have been ruled out.