Saturday July 10, 2010
Cardio-pulmonary arrest in cocaine overdose


Q: Why vasopressin is preferable over epinephrine in cardio-pulmonary arrest due to cocaine overdose?


Answer: Epinephrine like cocaine has alpha-adrenergic effects. Because of this similarity in the cardiovascular effects, the administration of epinephrine to a patient who arrests in a hyperadrenergic state has been like "pouring gasoline over fire."

Moreover, cocaine prevents the reuptake of exogenously administered epinephrine. Therefore, if epinephrine is used, AHA Guidelines recommends that high-dose epinephrine should be avoided and that the interval for its administration be increased (q 5-10min).

Vsopressin offer considerable advantages over epinephrine in cardiac arrest secondary to cocaine toxicity. The hyperadrenergic state caused by cocaine increases myocardial oxygen demand and vasopressin increases coronary blood flow, and thereby myocardial oxygen availablity.

Also, cocaine toxicity causes acidosis and epinephrine loses much of its effectiveness in an acidotic enviroment, whereas vasopressin demonstrates good efficacy even with severe acidosis.