Hemodynamic Responses to Chlorpromazine in Patients in Shock

Abstract

a reduction in systemic vascular resistance. Improved cardiac output occurred in nine patients, who, when compared to the others, had higher arterial and central venous pressures, higher vascular resistances, and had shown a poorer response to plasma volume expansion. These observations suggest that chlorpromazine will reduce vascular resistance in most patients in shock, but will not improve cardiac output if central aortic pressure is low or previous fluid replacement has been inadequate.