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The effect of vasopressin on oxygen availability
Annals of Surgery
|April 1, 1979
Summary
Vasopressin infusion significantly reduces oxygen availability in dogs, mainly due to decreased stroke volume and heart rate. Caution is advised for critically ill patients due to potential cardiopulmonary effects.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Gastrointestinal Hemodynamics
Background:
- Vasopressin is increasingly used for gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Potential adverse effects include impaired cardiac function and reduced oxygenation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the effect of vasopressin on oxygen availability.
- To investigate vasopressin's impact on cardiopulmonary parameters.
Main Methods:
- Intravenous vasopressin infusion (0.005 U/kg/min) for five hours in ten healthy anesthetized dogs.
- Monitoring of heart rate, systemic arterial pressure, pulmonary shunt, arterial oxygen content, systemic resistance, stroke volume, and pulmonary artery wedge pressure.
Main Results:
- Marked decrease in oxygen availability.
- Substantial decrease in stroke volume and significant increase in systemic resistance.
- Moderate, brief decrease in heart rate; slight decrease in arterial oxygen content.
- Pulmonary shunt did not increase; pulmonary artery wedge pressure gradually increased.
Conclusions:
- Vasopressin infusion markedly reduces oxygen availability, primarily via decreased stroke volume and, initially, heart rate.
- Increased systemic resistance and pulmonary artery wedge pressure suggest afterload increase and potential left ventricular failure.
- Recommend cautious use of vasopressin in critically ill patients with appropriate hemodynamic monitoring until full cardiopulmonary effects are understood.