Interaction of vasopressin infusion, corticosteroid treatment, and mortality of septic shock

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: Vasopressin and corticosteroids are often added to support cardiovascular dysfunction in patients who have septic shock that is nonresponsive to fluid resuscitation and norepinephrine infusion. However, it is unknown whether vasopressin treatment interacts with corticosteroid treatment. DESIGN:: Post hoc substudy of a multicenter randomized blinded controlled trial of vasopressin vs. norepinephrine in septic shock. SETTING:: Twenty-seven Intensive Care Units in Canada, Australia, and the United States. PATIENTS:: Seven hundred and seventy-nine patients who had septic shock and were ongoing hypotension requiring at least 5 μg/min of norepinephrine infusion for 6 hours. INTERVENTIO..