Department of Paediatrics - Division of Critical Care, Indiana University School of Medicine Riley Hospital for Children, 705 Riley Hospital Drive, RI 2117 Indianapolis, IN 46202, U.S.A
*Corresponding author Email: cmastrop@iupui.edu
Introduction
Arginine vasopressin has become an important part of the armamentarium available to paediatric cardiac intensive care physicians managing complex infants and children recovering from cardiovascular surgery. This therapy must be applied cautiously, however, as excessive afterload from its vasoconstrictive effects could be potentially detrimental to this patient population. Relative arginine vasopressin deficiency has been identified in some children recovering from cardiovascular surgery, and these children likely represent the ideal candidates for arginine vasopressin therapy. The aim of this critical review is to discuss arginine vasopressin and paediatric cardiovascular surgery.
Conclusion
Knowledge of endogenous plasma arginine vasopressin activity prior to initiation of therapy could therefore be helpful in clinical bedside decision making and should be the goal of future research.
