Type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) can be a rapidly fatal consequence of liver failure. Recent studies have utilized vasoconstrictor therapies to combat splanchnic vasodilatation. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a promising treatment for type 1 HRS. We compared the survival of HRS patients who received octreotide and midodrine treatment at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center with a concurrent untreated control group of HRS patients who did not receive this treatment. Of the 81 patients, 60 were treated with octreotide/midodrine and 21 were controls. Mortality was significantly lower in the treatment group (43%) than in the controls (71%; P < 0.05). Furthermore, 24 study patients (40%) had a sustained reduction of serum creatinine compared with only 2 controls (10%; P < 0.05). This large retrospective study suggests that octreotide/midodrine treatment appears to improve 30-day survival. A randomized, controlled trial is the next important step toward evaluating this treatment modality.

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