Inhaled Pulmonary Vasodilators in Cardiac Surgery Patients

Inhaled pulmonary vasodilators in refractory hypoxemia

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). Patients on invasive mechanical ventilation with persistent hypoxemia despite supplemental oxygen (FiO2) usually have significant shunt physiology and/or low cardiac output. If faced with refractory hypoxemia or acute right vent...

Effects of inhaled versus intravenous vasodilators in experimental pulmonary hypertension.

Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) causes selective pulmonary vasodilation and improves gas exchange in acute lung failure. In experimental pulmonary hypertension, we compared the influence of the aerosolized vasodilatory prostaglandins (PG) PGI2 and PGE1 on vascular tone and gas exchange to that of infused prostanoids (PGI2, PGE1) and inhaled NO. An increase of pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) from 8 to...

Inhaled nitric oxide in patients with normal and increased pulmonary vascular resistance after cardiac surgery.

We studied the haemodynamic effects of inhaled nitric oxide 40 p.p.m. in two groups of patients after cardiac surgery (mitral valve surgery or coronary artery bypass grafting). Nitric oxide caused a significant reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance after mitral valve surgery in patients who had pre-existing pulmonary hypertension, but no change in haemodynamic state in the coronary artery ...

Pulmonary vasodilators.

Pulmonary vasodilators are an important treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension. They reduce pulmonary artery pressure; improve hemodynamic function; alter ventilation/perfusion matching in the lungs; and improve functional quality of life, exercise tolerance, and survival in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. This paper reviews the currently available pulmonary vasodil...

Vasodilators in pulmonary hypertension.