Hemodynamic Effects of Phenylephrine, Vasopressin, and Epinephrine in Children With Pulmonary Hypertension: A Pilot Study

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vasopressin, published as a clinical trial.

Currently, there are no therapeutic guidelines for managing an acute crisis.

This pilot study examined the hemodynamic effects of phenylephrine, arginine vasopressin, and epinephrine in pediatric patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 15 participants were involved.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were infants, young children, children and teenagers, both men and women.

In this prospective, open-label, nonrandomized pilot study, the researchers enrolled pediatric patients previously diagnosed with pulmonary hypertensive who were scheduled electively for cardiac catheterization.

Eleven of 15 participants were women, median age was 9.2 years (range, 1.7-14.9 yr), and median weight was 26.8 kg (range, 8.5-55.2 kg).

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as an open-label and pilot study.

Nothing was hidden in this open-label Vasopressin study: the participants and staff both knew the treatment.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Vasopressin study would be practical.

Primary outcome was a change in the ratio of pulmonary-to-systemic vascular resistance.

Baseline hemodynamic data were collected before and after the study drug was administered.

Baseline mean pulmonary artery pressure was 49 ± 19 mm Hg, and mean indexed pulmonary vascular resistance was 10 ± 5.4 Wood units.

Etiology of pulmonary hypertensive varied, and all were on systemic pulmonary hypertensive medications.

Hemodynamics was measured continuously for up to 10 minutes following study drug administration.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Arginine Vasopressin, Epinephrine, Hypertension, Pulmonary, Phenylephrine, Pilot Projects, Vascular Resistance and Vasoconstrictor Agents.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is an open-label and pilot study of Vasopressin in 15 participants.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Results are reported in around 4 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2016 (Pediatric critical care medicine : a journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Vasopressin compound page.