Impact of Norepinephrine on Regional Cerebral Oxygenation During Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Norepinephrine is often used to maintain the mean pressure during open heart surgery but it is said that it could constrict cerebral arteries, reducing cerebral blood flow. Is it true? The authors explored the association of Norepi doses and rSO2 measured using near-infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that no statistically significant association was found.  Therefore, the investigators concluded that Norepi is safe to be used during CPB to increase the mean pressures without reducing rSO2.