ABSTRACT Purpose: Vasoplegia, or vasoplegic shock, is a syndrome whose main characteristic is reducing blood pressure in the presence of a standard or high cardiac output. For the treatment, vasopressors are recommended, and the most used is norepinephrine. However, new drugs have been evaluated, and conflicting results exist in the literature. Methods: This is a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis, written according to the recommendations of the PRISMA report. The SCOPUS, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases were used to select the scientific articles included in the study. Searches were conducted in December 2022 using the terms “vasopressin,” “norepinephrine,” “vasoplegic shock,” “postoperative,” and “surgery.” Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4. The endpoint associated with the study was efficiency in treating vasoplegic shock and reduced risk of death. Results: In total, 2,090 articles were retrieved; after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten studies were selected to compose the present review. We found no significant difference when assessing the outcome mortality comparing vasopressin versus norepinephrine (odds ratio = 1.60; confidence interval 0.47–5.50), nor when comparing studies on vasopressin versus placebo. When we analyzed the length of hospital stay compared to the use of vasopressin and norepinephrine, we identified a shorter length of hospital stay in cases that used vasopressin; however, the meta-analysis did not demonstrate statistical significance. Conclusions: Considering the outcomes included in our study, it is worth noting that most studies showed that using vasopressin was safe and can be considered in managing postoperative vasoplegic shock.

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Hipoxemia grave é uma complicação freqüente no pós-operatório imediato de revascularização do miocárdio (RM), promovendo aumento da duração da ventilação mecânica, da incidência de infecções pulmonares, dos custos e da mortalidade. O objetivo desse estudo foi identificar fatores preditivos de hipoxemia grave em pacientes submetidos à RM. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 481 pacientes adultos submetidos à RM eletiva entre outubro de 2003 e março de 2004. Considerou-se hipoxemia grave uma relação PaO2/FiO2 < 150 na admissão à UTI. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio de teste de Qui-quadrado, t de Student ou Wilcoxon, seguida de análise multivariada por meio de regressão logística (RL) para variáveis com valor p < 0,25 na análise univariada. Considerou-se valor de p > 0,2 para exclusão da variável do modelo de RL e p < 0,1 como sendo significativo. RESULTADOS: O tempo para extubação dos pacientes com hipoxemia grave foi maior que nos outros pacientes (p < 0,001). Na análise multivariada, as variáveis idade (p = 0,081), peso (p = 0,001), necessidade de CEC prolongada (p = 0,033) e disfunção ventricular esquerda (p = 0,082) foram identificadas como preditores independentes para hipoxemia grave. CONCLUSÕES: Pacientes com idade e peso elevados, disfunção ventricular esquerda e necessidade de CEC apresentaram risco aumentado para hipoxemia grave após RM. Nesses pacientes, o uso de estratégias ventilatórias perioperatória com pressões positivas expiratórias mais elevadas e manobra de recrutamento alveolar devem ser consideradas tendo como objetivo a prevenção da disfunção pulmonar pós-operatória.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Severe hypoxemia is complication frequently seen in the immediate postoperative period of myocardial revascularization (MR), increasing the duration of mechanical ventilation, the incidence of pulmonary infections, hospital costs, and mortality. The objective of this study was to identify predictive factors of severe hypoxemia in patients undergoing MR. METHODS: Four-hundred and eighty-one adult patients undergoing elective MR between October 2003 and March 2004 were enrolled in this study. Severe hypoxemia was defined as PaO2/FiO2 < 150 upon admission to the ICU. The Chi-square test, Student's t or Wilcoxon test, followed by multivariate analysis and logistic regression (LR) for parameters with p < 0.25 in the univariate analysis, were used for the statistical analysis. A p > 0.2 was required to exclude the parameter from the LR model, and a p < 0.1 was considered significant. RESULTS: Time for extubation was greater in patients with severe hypoxemia (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified age (p = 0.081), weight (p = 0.001), need of prolonged CBP (p = 0.033), and left ventricular dysfunction (p = 0.082) as independent predictors of severe hypoxemia. CONCLUSIONS: Older and overweighted patients, those with left ventricular dysfunction, and those who needed CPB presented an increased risk of severe hypoxemia after MR. In those patients, the use of perioperative ventilatory strategies, with elevated positive expiratory pressures and alveolar recruitment maneuver should be considered to prevent postoperative pulmonary dysfunction.

JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: La hipoxemia grave es una complicación frecuente en el postoperatorio inmediato de revascularización del miocardio (RM), promoviendo un aumento de la duración de la ventilación mecánica, de la incidencia de infecciones pulmonares, de los costos y de la mortalidad. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar factores de predicción de hipoxemia grave en pacientes sometidos a la RM. MÉTODO: Se estudiaron 481 pacientes adultos sometidos a la RM electiva entre octubre de 2003 y marzo de 2004. Se tomó en consideración hipoxemia grave en una relación PaO2/FiO2 < 150 en la admisión a la UCI. El análisis estadístico fue realizada a través de test de cui cuadrado, t de Student o Wilcoxon, seguido de análisis multivariado a través de regresión logística (RL) para variables con valor p < 0,25 en el análisis univariado. Se tuvo en cuenta el valor de p > 0,2 para la exclusión de la variable del modelo de RL y p < 0,1 como siendo significativo. RESULTADOS: El tiempo para la extubación de los pacientes con hipoxemia grave fue mayor que en los otros pacientes (p < 0,001). En el análisis multivariado, las variables edad (p = 0,081), peso (p = 0,001), necesidad de CEC prolongada (p = 0,033) y disfunción ventricular izquierda (p = 0,082) fueron identificadas como de predicción independientes para hipoxemia grave. CONCLUSIONES: Pacientes con edad y peso elevados, disfunción ventricular izquierda y necesidad de CEC presentaron un riesgo aumentado para hipoxemia grave después de la RM. NE estos pacientes, el uso de estrategias ventilatorias perioperatoria con presiones positivas de expiración más elevadas y la maniobra de reclutamiento alveolar deben ser consideradas teniendo en cuenta la prevención de la disfunción pulmonar postoperatoria.