AGT and Shock: However, despite a mechanistic rationale for angiotensin II use for vasoplegia after CPB, caution is likely warranted in patients with postoperative cardiac dysfunction as decreased cardiac output was an exclusion criterion for angiotensin II in the ATHOS-3 trial [9] and, barring new prospective data demonstrating safety and efficacy, angiotensin II should be avoided in patients with predominantly cardiogenic shock.