Anesthesiology

Norepinephrine is a potential alternative to phenylephrine for maintaining blood pressure during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery with the advantage of less depression of maternal heart rate and cardiac output. In this issue of Anesthesiology, Ngan Kee demonstrates the relative potencies of these two vasopressors in this context. The estimated dose equivalent to phenylephrine 100 μg was norepinephrine 8 μg.

• Ngan Kee: A Random-allocation Graded Dose–Response Study of Norepinephrine and Phenylephrine for Treating Hypotension during Spinal Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery, p. 934