Refractory vasospasm occurring in a trauma patient receiving dihydroergotamine and heparin

Gangrene and renal failure caused by dihydroergotamine used to treat raised intracranial pressure following head trauma

A case of peripheral gangrene and renal failure following the use of dihydroergotamine (DHE) for treatment of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) is reported. There have been several reports of vasospasm and peripheral gangrene caused by DHE used in combination with heparin for prevention of deep venous thrombosis. Clinical experience with the use of DHE in head trauma is limited. This case report emphasises the seriousness of the adverse effects associated with the use of this drug.

[Drug-induced iatrogenic arterial diseases]

Several drugs have been shown to cause vasomotor troubles such as Raynaud's phenomenon, erythromelalgia, vasculitis, livedo reticularis, or acrocyanosis. Vascular symptoms may develop a few weeks or more after drug initiation, particularly when other drugs are associated than can potentiate vascular side effects. In this review, the authors described the main characteristics of drug-induced vasculopathy, particularly those associated with ergotamine derivates, beta blocking agents or antineoplastic chemotherapy.

St. Anthony's fire: successful reversal of ergotamine-induced peripheral vasospasm by hydrostatic dilatation

A 60-year-old trauma victim developed severe ischemia of all four extremities following administration of heparin-dihydroergotamine as prophylaxis against deep venous thrombosis. Despite cessation of heparin-dihydroergotamine and infusion of intraarterial papaverine into the right femoral artery, both lower extremities progressed to frank gangrene and amputation (above-knee on the left and below-knee on the right). However, both ischemic upper extremities were salvaged following intraoperative hydrostatic dilatation with balloon catheters. Ergotism is an avoidable and potentially treatable cause of peripheral gangrene in the critically-ill patient.