The Effect of Vasopressin on 90‐Day Mortality in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Propensity Score‐Weighted Analysis

<b>Background:</b> Cardiogenic shock (CS) may lead to a refractory vasoplegic state that requires vasopressin on top of norepinephrine. Vasopressin has been available in France since January 2022. However, data assessing the clinical impact of vasopressin in CS are very scarce. <b>Objective:</b> In this study, we aimed to assess the association between vasopressin and 90-day mortality in a cohort of CS. <b>Method:</b> We conducted a retrospective, single-center study at Amiens University Hospital comparing two cohorts of patients experiencing at least Stage C of CS: one historical cohort from 2018 to 2019 without vasopressin and a contemporary cohort from 2022 to 2023 treated with vasopressin. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. The secondary outcome was the occurrence of serious adverse events (SAEs) during ICU stay. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) derived from propensity score was used to reduce imbalances in baseline characteristics. <b>Results:</b> We included 201 patients in the study: 59 in the vasopressin group and 142 in the no vasopressin group. The SOFA score and norepinephrine equivalent were higher in the vasopressin group (13 [10-16] vs. 12 [9-15]; <i>p</i> = 0.02 and 0.72 [0.21-1.51] vs. 0.13 [0.07-0.34]; <i>p</i> < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference between the two groups for the 90-day mortality (<i>n</i> = 31/59 vs. 75/142; <i>p</i> = 0.97). Before adjustment, vasopressin was not associated with 90-day mortality (OR = 0.98 [95% CI 0.50-1.78]; <i>p</i> = 0.87). After weighting, vasopressin remained not associated with 90-day mortality (OR = 1.10 [95% CI 0.56-2.17]; <i>p</i> = 0.77). There was no significant difference for SAEs between the two groups (<i>n</i> = 57/142 [40%] vs. <i>n</i> = 23/59 [39%]; <i>p</i> = 0.88). <b>Conclusion:</b> Vasopressin was not associated with 30-day mortality and SAEs in patients with CS.