A lethal complication of peripheral vein vasopressin infusion.

A patient bleeding from oesophageal varices in whom injection sclerotherapy failed to control bleeding required peripheral vein vasopressin infusion for a total of five days. Three days after stopping the infusion she collapsed and died. Post mortem examination showed the cause of death to be intestinal infarction resulting from superior mesenteric and portal vein thrombosis. This complication has not previously been described in association with vasopressin infusion into peripheral veins. The duration of each infusion should be minimised and blood volume should be carefully monitored throughout. The condition should be suspected in patients who develop unexplained abdominal pain or collapse following vasopressin treatment.