Octreotide

[silentRN]

What exactly is the purpose of Octreotide? I've seen it ordered several times and every time I look it up the uses seem so vast. From my understanding it's a vasoconstrictor, helps with hypoglycemic issues, and bleeding.

[WSU_Ally_RN, BSN, RN]

Where I work, we use if for upper GI bleeding. If you've got a bleeder, chances are they are going to have both an octreotide gtt and a nexium gtt going.

[psychonaut]

chylothorax

[Be_Moore]

With GI bleeders, Octreotide acts as a vasoconstrictor, which causes varices (if the source of the bleed) to shrink down and hopefully stop bleeding. That's the most common use of octreotide in the hospital setting.

[core0]

What exactly is the purpose of Octreotide? I've seen it ordered several times and every time I look it up the uses seem so vast. From my understanding it's a vasoconstrictor, helps with hypoglycemic issues, and bleeding.

Octreotide is a very interesting drug. Its a synthetic form of the hormone somatostatin which was originally known as growth hormone inhibiting hormone. Its original use was to treat children with Acromegaly. Its also used on label for the treatment of diarrhea secondary to VIPomas and Carncinoid tumors. It is commonly used off label in secretory diarrheas.

Off label it has a lot of other uses. Its used in the treatment of hypotension in hepato renal syndrome along with midodrine. This is probably due to increased vascular resistance in the gut but no one really knows.

Its also used in variceal bleeding. The exact mechanism of action is uncertain but it probably is related to decreased in decreased splanchnic circulation. It also inhibits lipase and amylase production so can be used to decrease pain in refractory pancreatitis.

Beyond that there tons of other uses including in treating hypoglycemia in overdose of oral hypoglycemis, thymus cancer treatment and others.

Basically it inhibits many other hormones and it decreases blood flow in the parts of the gut.

David Carpenter, PA-C

[Higgs]

In palliative care we use it (amongst many things) for reducing GI secretions eg with intractible obstruction or terminal diarrheas...

...I guess where you work determines what you use it for...

[Fiona59]

In palliative care we use it (amongst many things) for reducing GI secretions eg with intractible obstruction or terminal diarrheas...

...I guess where you work determines what you use it for...

We use it the same way in acute care.