The pulmonary vascular changes caused by distention of the pulmonary artery with the lumen fixed were compared to those produced by occlusive arterial distention. In 13 methane-anesthetized dogs, nonocclusive distention was produced by distention of a corrugated rubber cuff around a hollow metal cylinder affixed to the end of a cardiac catheter. In 10 other dogs, occlusive distention was produc...

BACKGROUND In spontaneously breathing cardiac patients, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) can be accurately estimated from the transthoracic Doppler study of pulmonary artery and tricuspid regurgitation blood flows. In critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation for acute lung injury, the interposition of gas between the probe and the heart renders the transthoracic approach problematic. Th...

OBJECTIVE To examine the incidence of raised pulmonary artery pressure and resistance in adults with isolated atrial septal defect within the oval fossa (so called secundum defect) or sinus venosus defect. DESIGN A historical, retrospective, unrandomised study. SETTING A tertiary referral centre. METHODS Cardiac catheterisation was performed in all patients, with measurement of pulmonary ...

The current studies were designed to investigate the mechanisms in the intact anesthetized dog that control the release of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF). In vitro, mechanical stretch of atrial tissue produces an increased release of ANF. In vivo, changes in atrial pressure correlate positively with circulating ANF levels. The present investigations used 6 open-chest anesthetized dogs to evalu...

THE behavior of the pulmonary vascular resistance during exercise in patients with ventricular septal defect or patent ductus arteriosus influences the magnitude and direction of tlhe shunt of blood across the defect and also may provide clues concerning the genesis of the pulmonary hypertension often seen in large defects. In previous studies,1' 2 pulmonary artery wedge pressure had not been d...

We used a pulsed Doppler technique to examine the flow velocity pattern in the right ventricular outflow tract in 33 adults. In the patients with normal pulmonary artery pressure (mean pressure less than 20 mm Hg, 16 patients), ejection flow reached a peak level at midsystole (137 +/- 24 msec, mean +/- SD), producing a domelike contour of the flow velocity pattern during systole. In contrast, t...

A transducer tipped catheter and simple recording system were used for the continuous measurement of ambulatory pulmonary artery pressure. The pulmonary artery pressure was recorded on a miniaturised tape recorder and replayed via an optical writer. Pulmonary arterial systolic and diastolic pressures can be analysed on a beat to beat basis. Continuous ambulatory monitoring was performed for a t...

INTRODUCTION Reactive pulmonary hypertension is frequent in children with high pulmonary flow and pressure. Inhaled iloprost and nitric oxide are the only substances approved as selective pulmonary vasodilators, but data about the effectiveness and safety of inhaled iloprost during cardiac surgery in infants and children are limited. METHODS We retrospectively analysed the effects of inhaled ...

RATIONALE Transfusion of erythrocytes stored for prolonged periods is associated with increased mortality. Erythrocytes undergo hemolysis during storage and after transfusion. Plasma hemoglobin scavenges endogenous nitric oxide leading to systemic and pulmonary vasoconstriction. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that transfusion of autologous blood stored for 40 days would increase the pulmonary art...