Midodrine treatment in a patient with treprostinil-induced hypotension receiving hemodialysis.

Objective: Use of the vasodilator midodrine for the treatment of treprostinil-induced hypotension is reported.

Conclusions: Intradialytic hypotension is a common complication of dialysis that increases patient mortality due to suboptimal ultrafiltration and interruption of hemodialysis. Midodrine is an α1 vasoconstrictor commonly used for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and intradialytic hypotension. The safety of midodrine dosing at greater than 30 mg daily has not been established to date. A 49-year-old African-American man with a history of PAH and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was receiving hemodialysis (HD) 3 times weekly. Subcutaneous treprostinil infusions were initiated for PAH, subsequently causing hypotension, with predialysis blood pressure values as low as 60/50 mm Hg. During a 6-month follow-up period, 38 of 62 dialysis sessions were interrupted or discontinued due to severe intradialytic hypotension. Counteraction of treprostinil effects was achieved by increasing the total daily midodrine dose from 30 mg to 90 mg over 6 months, with no remarkable adverse effects. In previously reported cases, maximum midodrine daily doses of 30 mg in nondialysis patients and 25 mg in patients with ESRD receiving hemodialysis were reported. The patient described here received a total daily dose of 90 mg, including 60 mg administered in divided doses for daily maintenance and 30-mg intradialytic doses; this was the highest daily midodrine dose reported to date. Conclusions: A 49-year-old patient tolerated 60-mg daily doses of midodrine along with 30-mg intradialytic doses for the management of treprostinil-induced hypotension and prevention of HD interruption, without adverse effects.