User:Mr. Ibrahem/Norepinephrine

Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is a medication used to treat people with very low blood pressure. It is the typical medication used in sepsis if low blood pressure does not improve following intravenous fluids. It is the same molecule as the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine. It is given by slow injection into a vein.

Common side effects include headache, slow heart rate, and anxiety. Other side effects include an irregular heartbeat. If it leaks out of the vein at the site it is being given, norepinephrine can result in limb ischemia. If leakage occurs the use of phentolamine in the area affected may improve outcomes. Norepinephrine works by binding and activating alpha adrenergic receptors.

Norepinephrine was discovered in 1946 and was approved for medical use in the United States in 1950. It is available as a generic medication. The wholesale cost in the developing world as of 2015 is about 0.42 USD per vial of four milligrams. In the United Kingdom this amount costs the NHS about 4.40 pounds.