Terlipressin injection is a vasopressin receptor agonist primarily used in emergency settings to treat bleeding oesophagal varices (swollen veins in the food pipe) and hepatorenal syndrome type 1 (rapidly progressive kidney failure in patients with severe liver disease).
It works by constricting blood vessels in the abdomen, which decreases blood flow into the portal vein system and redirects blood to improve kidney function.
Primary Medical Uses
- Bleeding Esophageal Varices: Acts as an emergency intervention to stop or slow acute bleeding in the esophagus until endoscopic therapy can be performed.
- Hepatorenal Syndrome (HRS) Type 1: Improves kidney function by increasing systemic blood pressure and redistributing blood flow to the kidneys.
