EPIDose Study | Epinephrine for Very Low Blood Pressure

Low blood pressure or “hypotension” is rare, but it can be an emergency depending on how low the pressure goes, the age of the child, and the clinical situation at the time. It is important to fix very low blood pressure rapidly because prolonged low blood pressure can be life threatening or cause damage to vital organs including the brain, heart, and kidneys.

Epinephrine or “adrenaline” is a hormone that is naturally made by the human body which serves many functions. One function is to raise heart rate and blood pressure. Doctors also use epinephrine as a medication to raise blood pressure when someone’s blood pressure is very low. Risks of receiving epinephrine include blood pressure temporarily going too high, heart arrhythmias, and damage to other organs. However, these risks are very rare and since low blood pressure is an emergency, epinephrine is used often in this situation.

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