title: Sublingual nitroglycerin in the treatment of left ventricular failure and pulmonary edema.
abstract: In 15 patients with left heart failure due to coronary heart disease (10 acute and 5 old infarcts) the enddiastolic pressures in the pulmonary artery (left ventricular filling pressure) were elevated to 25 +/- 8 mm Hg and signs of pulmonary congestion were present. After nitroglycerin sublingually (0.8-1.6 mg) the left ventricular filling pressure fell to 17 +/- 8 mm Hg and caridac output tended to increase. Mean arterial pressure did not change significantly. In 6 patients with pulmonary edema, clinically an impressive improvement was observed within 5-15 min after administration of the drug. In 1 case the left ventricular filling pressure decreased from 50 to 27 mm Hg within 5 min. In left heart failure, especially in the presence of pulmonary edema, sublingual nitroglycerin is a potent drug with a favorable influence on hemodynamic and clinical parameters.
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000502:physiology; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D005996:Nitroglycerin