Is Phenylephrine injection effective for treating ischemic priapism? Study sheds light

Based on the study, the authors revealed the following:

· The researchers identified 123 patients with a median age of 40 years with a median time from AIP onset to a presentation of 11 hours.

· 78.% of men received phenylephrine, and detumescence was achieved nonoperatively in 63.9% of men, and a mean priapism duration was 8.7 hours.

· Those treated with phenylephrine had a mean duration of 8.8 ± 5.6 versus 57.3 ± 37.1 hours without resolution.

· Among low and high-dose phenylephrine groups (500 and 2000 μg, respectively), the median duration of AIP was 10 and 12 hours without a difference in AIP resolution.

· 17.1% of patients were at risk for phenylephrine complications, of which 4.1% had phenylephrine discontinued due to hemodynamic changes.

"Nonoperative treatment of AIP with phenylephrine does not appear to be dose-dependent and hemodynamic changes secondary to phenylephrine administration may be underreported," the researchers wrote.

"Future research should utilize standardized risk assessment and periprocedural monitoring for hemodynamic change," they conclude.

Reference:

Scarberry K, Deebel NA, Dutta R, Matz E, Terlecki RP. Safety and efficacy of Phenylephrine administration for the treatment of ischemic priapism: An opportunity for quality improvement in periprocedural safety assessment. Urology. 2022 Aug 22:S0090-4295(22)00709-9. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2022.08.011. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36007685.