We analyze in the current study the impact of
heptaminol hydrochloride (Heptamyl) administration in patients with
septic shock requiring
adrenergic support on the duration of vasopressor infusion and on
catecholamine delay weaning. In this prospective study were included 49 nonconsecutive patients with
septic shock requiring vasopressor infusion and with stable hemodynamic parameters during more than 24 hours. All these patients were included in a random way to receive or not
heptaminol hydrochloride. The primary end point was the effect of
heptaminol hydrochloride administration on duration of weaning, defined as cessation of vasopressor support. There were 32 males (65%) and 17 females (35%). The mean age (± standard deviation) was 53.9 ± 22.2 years.
Norepinephrine was the most commonly used
vasopressor agent (73.4%). The comparison between two groups (with and without
heptaminol hydrochloride) showed that two groups had the same epidemiologic, clinical, and
biologic findings on intensive care unit admission. In our study, we found that the introduction of Heptamyl was associated with a quick decrease of dose of
dopamine and
norepinephrine in comparison with the Heptamyl-free group. By comparing the two groups, we found that the delay of
catecholamine weaning was significantly faster for the
dopamine (P = 0.008) and noradrenalin (P = 0.001) in the Heptamyl group. Finally, the intensive care unit mortality rate and the hospital mortality rate were significantly lower in the Heptamyl group. Our study shows a reduction in
norepinephrine and
dopamine weaning duration in septic patients enrolled in the
heptaminol hydrochloride group.