Comparison Between Two Drugs on the Hemodynamic Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension Prior to Heart Transplantation

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2008-11, Vol.40 (9), p.3009-3011
• Main Authors: Mogollón Jiménez, M.V, Escoresca Ortega, A.M, Hinojosa Pérez, R, Lage Gallé, E, Herruzo Avilés, Á, Sobrino Márquez, M, Frutos López, M, Romero Rodríguez, N, Pérez de la Yglesia, R, Martínez Martínez, Á
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Blood Pressure - physiology; Epoprostenol - therapeutic use; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Heart Transplantation - physiology; Hemodynamics - drug effects; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nitric Oxide - therapeutic use; Pneumology; Preoperative Care; Pulmonary Artery - drug effects; Pulmonary Artery - physiology; Pulmonary Artery - physiopathology; Pulmonary hypertension. Acute cor pulmonale. Pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary vascular diseases; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tissue, organ and graft immunology; Vascular Resistance - drug effects; Vasodilator Agents - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2008.08.123

Abstract Introduction Invasive estimation of pulmonary pressure is part of the usual protocol prior to heart transplantation. The aim of this study was to compare the results of 2 different vasodilators, nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin, in an acute vasodilator test (AVT) for patients with pulmonary venous hypertension. Materials and Methods From January 2000 to December 2006, 94 right-sided heart catheterizations were performed in our center within pretransplantation evaluations. AVT was performed if the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) >35 mm Hg or if the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was >4 Wood units (WU). Epoprostenol was administered to 40 patients, NO to 6 patients, and both agents to 8 patients. Results A significant decrease in both mPAP and PVR was shown with maximum doses of epoprostenol, with an average variation of 8.96 mm Hg in mPAP ( P < .001) and 3.26 WU in PVR ( P < .001). An increased cardiac output (CO) was observed with epoprostenol, with a mean difference of 1.9 L/min ( P < .001) at maximum compared with baseline doses. A tendency for the mPAP and PVR to decrease was also observed with maximum NO doses, with mean decreases of mPAP and PVR of 5.62 mm Hg and 1.14 WU, respectively. A tendency for CO to decrease was observed with NO (0.75 L/min; P = .039). Conclusions In our experience, NO is the best drug for AVT due to its pulmonary tree selectivity. A study with epoprostenol was complementary; both drugs can be used in these patients prior to heart transplantation.