Glucagon: hormone or therapeutic agent?

Abstract

Glucagon is an important therapeutic agent in critical care medicine. Although its endogenous hormonal functions have been well described, its clinical uses are rarely discussed. Glucagon is effective in the treatment of hypoglycemia, cardiogenic shock and heart failure, propranolol overdose, esophageal meat impaction, ureteral colic due to calculi, and acute diverticulitis. It may prove useful in the treatment of endotoxin and hypovolemic shock as well as toxicity due to excesses of procainamide, quinidine, or ouabain.

• Authors: K Hall-Boyer, G P Zaloga, B Chernow
• Journal: Critical care medicine (Crit Care Med) Vol. 12 Issue 7 Pg. 584-9 (Jul 1984) ISSN: 0090-3493 [Print] United States
• PMID: 6375966 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Cardiotonic Agents
• Cardiovascular Agents
• Glucagon

Topics

• Cardiotonic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Cardiovascular Agents (adverse effects)
• Colic (drug therapy)
• Diverticulitis (drug therapy)
• Esophagus (drug effects)
• Glucagon (adverse effects, physiology, therapeutic use)
• Heart Diseases (drug therapy)
• Heart Rate (drug effects)
• Humans
• Hypoglycemia (drug therapy)
• Muscle, Smooth (drug effects)
• Myocardial Contraction (drug effects)
• Peristalsis (drug effects)
• Ureteral Calculi (drug therapy)