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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Oct 10.
Published in final edited form as: Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2020 Jun;21(6):e378–e386. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000002295

Table 1.

Case reports of the use of methylene blue to treat refractory shock in patients less than 25 years old. MB: methylene blue, B: bolus dose, I: infusion, BP; blood pressure, MB; methylene blue, CHD; congenital heart disease, CO; cardiac output, SVR; systemic vascular resistance, VIS; vasoactive-inotropic score, MAP; mean arterial blood pressure, CI; cardiac index, SvcO2; central venous oxygen saturation, CPB; cardiopulmonary bypass, N/s: not specified. (*) Indicates conference abstracts

Study, year,
country
Patient age, sex and
diagnosis
MB dose VIS pre MB VIS post
MB
Major findings
Chan et al, 2018, Australia(28) 15 y/o male with shock due to intentional overdose B: 1.5 mg/kg
I: 1.5 mg/kg/hr for 12 hr, then 1 mg/kg/hr for 12 hr
1200 with metaraminol 402 by 6 hr BP increased from 65/40 to 120/45 and CO was 8L/min and SVR 300 dyn×sec×cm−5 after MB. MB levels were followed and t1/2 was calculated to be 37.6 hr
Shen, 2018, United States (29) 17 y/o male with shock due to trauma B:100 mg
I: 500mg over 6 hr
n/s 0 by 6 hr Clinical status improved, and epinephrine and norepinephrine were weaned off 6 hr after MB
Volpon et. al. 2018, Brazil(30) 4 y/o male with shock due to trauma B: 0.5 mg/kg 80 40 by 2 hr BP increased from 90/40 to 100s/50s and norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine weaned 2 hr after MB
*Cebula and Musfeldt, 2016, United States(31) 24 y/o male with shock due to intentional overdose B: 1.5 mg/kg
I: 1 mg/kg/hr
N/s 0 by 2 hr MAPs improved from 40s to 60s and vasopressin, epinephrine, and phenylephrine weaned off 2 hr after MB
Lee 2016, United States(32) 7 y/o female with shock due to heart failure B: 1.5 mg/kg 25 3 by 30 min BP increased, and vasopressin and epinephrine were weaned 30 min after MB
Hershman et al. 2015, Israel(33) 19 y/o female with shock after kidney transplant B: 1mg/kg 92 with phenylephrine 0 by 8 hr BP normalized to 120/60, HR lowered to 100 bpm and norepinephrine, dopamine and phenylephrine weaned within 8 hr after MB
Rutledge et. al. 2015, United States(34) 22 m/o female with shock due to CHD and sepsis B: 1 mg/kg
I: 0.25 mg/kg/hr
520 0 by 14 h Systolic BP rose 40%, diastolic BP rose 46% and dopamine, norepinephrine and vasopressin were weaned 14 h after MB
*Cheng et al.2012, United States(35) 18 y/o female with shock after liver transplant B: 2 mg/kg 10 4 by n/s BP increased from 72/25 to 115/55 and dopamine and epinephrine were weaned immediately after MB
*Ali and Lindley, 2012, United Kingdom(36) 23 y/o female with shock due to sepsis B: 1 mg/kg
I: 0.25 mg/kg/hr
N/s N/s HR, BP and CI increased, SVR increased from 200 to 800 dyn×sec×cm−5 and epinephrine and vasopressin weaned after MB.
Banille et al. 2011, Argentina(37) 15 m/o male with shock due to CHD B: 1 mg/kg/ for 2 doses 24 N/s HR improved, BP and SvcO2 increased and dopamine and norepinephrine were weaned 11 hr after MB
Lopez, 2011, Spain(38) Newborn with shock due to sepsis B: 1 mg/kg 100 with hydrocortisone 50 by 6hr MAP increased from 28 to 35 mmHg and dopamine, dobutamine and norepinephrine weaned 6 hr after MB
Bhalla et al, 2011, United States(39) 5 y/o female with cardiogenic shock after CPB B: 1 mg/kg 840 0 by 12 hr MAP increased from 30 to 60 mmHg and epinephrine, norepinephrine, and vasopressin weaned 12 h after MB
Jang et al. 2011, United States (40) 25 y/o female with shock due to intentional overdose B: 2 mg/kg
I: 1 mg/kg/hr
32 with high dose insulin n/s CI was 5.1 L/min/m2 and SVR was 400 dyn×sec×cm−5 before MB. BP increased from 75/40 to 90/75 mmHg and HR decreased from 120 to 90 bpm after MB
Flynn and Sladen, 2009, United States(41) 14 y/o female with shock after lung transplant B: 1.5 mg/kg 73 3.3 by 10 min BP improved and norepinephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin and phenylephrine weaned after MB.
Rodrigues et al. 2007, Brazil(42) 23 y/o female with anaphylactic shock B: 1.5 mg/kg
I: 1mg/kg/hr for 1 hour
N/s N/s Reversal of shock, angioedema, urticaria and dyspnea with 5 minutes of MB
Taylor and Holtby, 2005, Canada(43) 10 y/o female with shock due to CHD and sepsis B: 2 mg/kg twice
I: 1 mg/kg/hr
60 n/s MB was administered during CPB and vital signs remained stable
Pagni et al, 2000, United States(44) 20 y/o male with shock due to CHD B: 2 mg/kg over 30 min 72.5 17.5 BP increased from 80/51 to 118/59 mmHg, SVR increased from 538 to 842 dyn×sec×cm−5, HR decreased from 130 to 110 bpm and CI decreased from 3.0 to 1.6 L/min/m2 1 hr after MB