Vasodilators in the treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension

Vasodilators in the treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension.

The use of vasodilators to reduce vascular resistance is over a hundred years old. BALFOUR [1] recommends the use of nitrites as vascular stimulants "which dilate the peripheral vessels (arterioles) and so promote the flow blood". In the case of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), vaso-constriction is one of three factors that combine to increase resistance to blood flow through the lungs. Th...

Vasodilators in pulmonary hypertension.

Primary pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy; a role for novel vasodilators.

We describe the case of a 28-week pregnant woman presenting with severe primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). She had an elective Caesarean section under general anaesthesia at 32 weeks gestation. Pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) measured from a pulmonary artery catheter before anaesthesia were in excess of 100 mm Hg. Intraoperative nitric oxide was used to reduce PAP. After the delivery of a h...

Vasodilators and primary pulmonary hypertension. Variability of long-term response.

Long-term response to vasodilator therapy was assessed in six patients with PPH. Following an acute trial, each patient was restudied after (1) two months of drug administration, (2) one month of abstinence from therapy, and (3) an additional two months of therapy. Three of six patients had no long-term reduction of PVR after treatment; one showed a progressive increase. Of the three patients w...

Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension In First Degree Relatives Of Patients With Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was defined for the first time in 1951 as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). Some studies emphasized on the role of genetics in the development of pulmonary hypertension in family members of affected patients. So, in this study we evaluated the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in first degree family of patients with documented PPH. Methods: In thi...