MICU intern's survival guide vasopressors
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Norepinephrine
- Mechanism of action - Acts on both alpha1 (vasoconstriction of blood vessels) and beta1 receptors (increases cardiac output).
- Indications:
- Septic shock
- Cardiogenic shock - Recent studies have shown that norepinephrine may be better than dopamine in cardiogenic shock due to a decreased risk of tachyarrhythmias.
- Undifferentiated shock (when exact nature of shock is not known)
- In cases where the type of shock is unclear, norepinephrine can be tried as a first line agent.
- Doses - 1-30 mcg/min.