Effects of infusion of acetylcholine on pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with pulmonary hypertension and congenital heart disease

Survival following surgical correction of congenital cardiovascular defects is unlikely if pulmonary hypertension cannot be decreased significantly. Infusions of acetylcholine decreased pulmonary vascular resistance in 6 of 11 patients having pulmonary hypertension associated with atrial or ventricu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Circulation (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 1959-09, Vol.20 (3), p.381-390
Main Authors: SHEPHERD, J T, SEMLER, H J, HELMHOLZ, Jr, H F, WOOD, E H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetylcholine - therapy
Disease
Heart Defects, Congenital - complications
Humans
Hypertension - therapy
Hypertension, Pulmonary
Old Medline
Pulmonary Artery
Vascular Diseases
Vascular Resistance
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Summary:Survival following surgical correction of congenital cardiovascular defects is unlikely if pulmonary hypertension cannot be decreased significantly. Infusions of acetylcholine decreased pulmonary vascular resistance in 6 of 11 patients having pulmonary hypertension associated with atrial or ventricular septal defects. When the acetylcholine was combined with the breathing of oxygen, resistance decreased further. These findings are consistent with the theory that, at some stage, the pulmonary hypertension in cases of congenital heart disease is maintained at least in part by vasoconstriction and therefore is potentially reversible.
ISSN:0009-7322
1524-4539
DOI:10.1161/01.CIR.20.3.381