Sympathomimetics · Pharmacology

Why is Norepinephrine primarily used to treat septic shock rather than Epinephrine?

  1. It has much stronger Beta-2 vasodilating activity within skeletal muscle
  2. It can be administered orally
  3. It lacks any effect on the heart
  4. It provides Alpha-1 vasoconstriction with less Beta-1 tachycardia
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Correct answer: It provides Alpha-1 vasoconstriction with less Beta-1 tachycardia

Norepinephrine is a potent alpha agonist with moderate beta-1 activity. In septic shock, it effectively increases systemic vascular resistance to raise blood pressure while typically causing less heart rate acceleration than epinephrine, which has stronger beta-1 and beta-2 properties.

Difficulty: Medium Question 16 of 20

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