Resuscitation Review Blog
Vasopressors

Norepinephrine vs Epinephrine: Different Pressors, Different Physiology

Not all vasopressors solve the same problem.

Norepinephrine and epinephrine both raise blood pressure, but they do so with different receptor profiles and different physiologic tradeoffs.

Norepinephrine has strong alpha-1 activity and modest beta-1 activity. It increases vascular tone, raises mean arterial pressure, and may modestly support contractility.

This makes it the default vasopressor for many forms of distributive shock.

Epinephrine has more prominent beta-1 and beta-2 effects at lower doses, with increasing alpha activity at higher doses. It can increase heart rate, contractility, cardiac output, and vascular tone.

Member continuation

Full post, key takeaways, references, and the rest of the Core Medical Education collection are available for WhiteBoard Medicine members.

Read More
Continue learning

Related WhiteBoard Medicine resources.