Resus Tonight - Critical Care and Emergency Nursing

Ep.8 - Inotropes and Vasopressors: A, B, and V

September 16, 2019 Resus Tonight Season 1 Episode 8
Resus Tonight - Critical Care and Emergency Nursing
Ep.8 - Inotropes and Vasopressors: A, B, and V
Show Notes

Alpha, beta, V1 and V2 receptor goodness is talked about in this episode. This episode also features Allan turning into The Rock.


  • Inotropy means increased myocardial contractility
  • Chronotropy means increased heart rate
  • Vasopressor means squeezing of the blood vessels
  • Scott Weingart (reference below) coins a term Inopressor, where some drugs cause all of the above – one such example is epinephrine
  • Alpha 1 receptors are found in the periphery and are responsible for vasoconstriction
  • Alpha 2 receptors are in the periphery and are responsible for vasodilation
  • Beta 1 receptors are primarily in the myocardium and cause ino and chronotropy
  • Beta 2 receptors are in the lungs and result in bronchodilation
  • V1 receptors are in the blood vessels
  • V2 receptors are in the kidneys