Contributor: Nick Tsipis, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Epinephrine: alpha-1, alpha-2, beta-1, and beta 2 agonist - used in cardiac arrest with positive effects on ROSC in prehospital and peri-hopsital setting
• Norepinephrine: alpha-1 and beta-1 agonist - used in septic shock to increase cardiac output and peripheral vasoconstriction
• Phenylephrine: alpha-1 adrenergic agonist - used in spinal/neurogenic shock as well as medication-induced peri-procedural hypotension (propofol for RSI) as it only helps with vasoconstriction
• Dopamine: alpha-1, alpha-2, beta-1, beta 2, and dopamine agonist - used for sepsis in the past, but not recommended due to dysrhythmias
• Vasopressin: V1 agonist (vasoconstricts) - used when maxed out of norepinephrine for septic shock
• Milrenone: phosphodiesterase inhibitor - used in heart failure to drop preload and afterload
• Dobutamine: beta-2 (with minimal beta-1) adrenergic agonist - used in heart failure and cardiogenic shock to reduce afterload

References

Shields SH, Holland RM. Pharmacology of Vasopressors and Inotropes. In: Tintinalli JE, Stapczynski J, Ma O, Yealy DM, Meckler GD, Cline DM. eds. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 7e. McGraw-Hill; Accessed February 14, 2021.

Episode 31 - Vasopressors. FOAMcast: An Emergency Medicine Podcast. 25 July 2015. https://foamcast.org/tag/vasopressors/

Summarized by John Spartz, MS3 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD