P Pu ur rp po os se e: : To describe the utility of vasopressin in the treatment of acute distributive shock clinically compatible with the diagnosis of aprotinin anaphylaxis.C Cl li in ni ic ca al l f fe ea at tu ur re es s: : A 57-yr-old female patient underwent repeat cardiac surgery to treat prosthetic valve endocarditis. She had received aprotinin during her first surgery 60 days ago. Despite a negative test dose of iv aprotinin 20,000 KIU, when aprotinin loading was initiated during the repeat surgery, the patient developed bronchospasm and hypotension secondary to acute distributive shock. Bronchospasm responded to inhaled salbutamol and ipatropium. The hypotension was refractory to high doses of phenylephrine. Two doses of iv vasopressin 5 U reversed the vasodilation and reestablished normal blood pressure.C Co on nc cl lu us si io on n: : Vasopressin, in association with alpha-agonists, can reverse acute refractory distributive shock following aprotinin administration. ASOPRESSIN has been recommended recently for the treatment of ventricular fibrillation, septic shock, 1,2 and post-cardiopulmonary bypass distributive shock. 3,4 In this case, we report the use of vasopressin in the treatment of acute distributive shock that occurred during the administration of aprotinin in a patient undergoing repeat cardiac surgery.
ObjectifC Ca as se e r re ep po or rt t A 57-yr-old, 56 kg woman with a history of rheumatic fever, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and smoking underwent combined mechanical mitral (St. Jude 27 mm) and aortic (St. Jude 19 mm) valve replacements and left anterior descending coronary artery bypass with a left internal mammary artery graft. Her preoperative medications were metformin and hydrochlorothiazide. She had no known allergies. At the time of surgery, she received aprotinin (Bayer Vital, Leverkusen, Germany) as per the Hammersmith protocol. 5 Her postoperative course was uneventful.Two months later, the patient presented to the emergency room with chills and an altered level of consciousness. The patient was disoriented, stuporous, but arousable. She was tachycardic and had a temperature of 39°C without signs of meningismus or focal neurological findings. Laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis and acute azotemia with a serum creatinine of 221 µmol·L -1 . Cranial computerized tomography showed two small hypodensities compatible with embolic cerebral infarcts in the territories of each middle cerebral artery. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a large vegetation on the mitral valve prosthesis, for which an emergency repeat cardiac surgery was scheduled. The patient was rehydrated, started on iv heparin, and treated with vancomycin, CARDIOTHORACIC ANESTHESIA, RESPIRATION AND AIRWAY 169 CAN J