TABLE I.

Patient Characteristics.

Patient	Age, yr	Sex	Cause of Cardiogenic Shock	Length of Pressor Treatment, d	Use of IABP	Outcome
1	79	F	Flail mitral valve	3	Concurrent with pressors	Survived, entire oral tongue   sloughed
2	77	M	Acute MI	3	—	Died, MODS
3	88	F	Acute MI, atrial fibrillation,   and occlusive carotid   artery disease	5	Removed 9 days before   tongue necrosis	Died, acute cerebral edema
4	91	F	Acute MI	2	Concurrent with pressors	Died, cardiac arrest
5	59	M	Acute MI and ascending aortic aneurysm	32	—	Died, MODS

All five subjects were on high-dose vasopressive agents at the time that distal tongue ischemia was noted. All had concurrent hepatic or renal failure and/or distal extremity ischemia.

IABP = intra-aortic balloon pump; F = female; M = male; MI = myocardial infarction; MODS = multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.