Vasopressin in the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit

surgery is often complicated by profound hypotension (mean arterial pressure [MAP] ≤70 mm Hg). Often, shock after cardiotomy is associated with low cardiac output syndrome (also termed low-output heart failure). These patients are best treated with volume resuscitation, afterload reduction, and inotropic support. However, some patients remain hypotensive because of systemic vasodilation. Recent clinical data suggest that a physiological deficiency in