Phenylephrine is indicated for which condition to support blood pressure in patients with hypotension and low SVR?

Phenylephrine is indicated for which condition to support blood pressure in patients with hypotension and low SVR?

• A. Hypotension with low SVR
• B. Volume overload with normal SVR
• C. Hypertension with high SVR
• D. Indicated for hypotension with low SVR

Answer: (D)

Phenylephrine is a pure alpha-1 adrenergic agonist, so it causes vasoconstriction and increases systemic vascular resistance, which raises arterial blood pressure. This makes it especially useful when hypotension is driven by vasodilation with low SVR (vasodilatory shock or anesthesia-related hypotension). By increasing SVR, it helps restore mean arterial pressure and perfusion if intravascular volume is adequate. It does not provide volume expansion and has little to no beta-adrenergic effect, so it won’t address low BP from true hypovolemia or reduce high blood pressure. Therefore, it’s indicated for hypotension with low SVR.

Phenylephrine is a pure alpha-1 adrenergic agonist, so it causes vasoconstriction and increases systemic vascular resistance, which raises arterial blood pressure. This makes it especially useful when hypotension is driven by vasodilation with low SVR (vasodilatory shock or anesthesia-related hypotension). By increasing SVR, it helps restore mean arterial pressure and perfusion if intravascular volume is adequate. It does not provide volume expansion and has little to no beta-adrenergic effect, so it won’t address low BP from true hypovolemia or reduce high blood pressure. Therefore, it’s indicated for hypotension with low SVR.