Health Vidya

EPINEPHRINE Epinephrine’s cardiac effects may be of use in the treatment and prophylaxis of cardiac arrest due to various causes in the absence of ventricular fibrillation and attacks of transitory atrioventricular (AV) heart block with syncopal seizures (Stokes-Adams syndrome), but it is not used in cardiac failure or in hemorrhagic, traumatic or in cardiogenic shock. Epinephrine may be used to stimulate the heart in syncope due to complete heart block or carotid sinus hypersensitivity. Epinephrine is also used for resuscitation in cardiac arrest following anesthetic accidents. In cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intracardiac puncture and intramyocardial injection of epinephrine may be effective when external cardiac compression and attempts to restore the circulation by electrical defibillation or use of a pacemaker fail. Epinephrine is seldom used as a vasopressor except in the treatment of anaphylactic shock and under certain conditions in insulin shock.