title: Utility of prostaglandin E1 in the pretransplantation evaluation of heart failure patients with significant pulmonary hypertension.
abstract: Patients with chronic heart failure frequently have pulmonary hypertension. Because severe preoperative pulmonary hypertension predicts a poor outcome after orthotopic transplantation, pulmonary vasoreactivity is evaluated frequently in the pretransplantation screening of heart failure patients. We prospectively evaluated the utility of the direct pulmonary vasodilator, prostaglandin E1, and compared it to the nonspecific vasodilators, nitroglycerin and sodium nitroprusside, in the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension in 39 heart transplantation candidates. Prostaglandin E1 significantly lowered pulmonary artery pressure, transpulmonary pressure gradient, and pulmonary vascular resistance. An adequate pulmonary vasodilator response (defined as a decline in transpulmonary pressure gradient to less than 15 mm Hg) occurred in 31 patients (79%). In a subgroup of nine patients also tested with nitroglycerin, greater reductions (p less than 0.01) in both transpulmonary pressure gradient and pulmonary vascular resistance occurred with prostaglandin E1, compared to nitroglycerin. Five of six patients who did not respond to nitroglycerin responded to prostaglandin E1. In another subgroup of 12 patients who were also evaluated with sodium nitroprusside, prostaglandin E1 produced a larger decline (p less than 0.05) in transpulmonary pressure gradient and pulmonary vascular resistance than did sodium nitroprusside. Six of eight patients who did not respond to sodium nitroprusside responded to prostaglandin E1. Based on pulmonary vasodilator response to prostaglandin E1, 27 patients were accepted on the transplantation waiting list, and eight patients underwent orthotopic transplantation. Postoperatively, acute right ventricular failure of the donor heart developed in none of these patients. Significant hemodynamic improvement occurred by 24 hours and persisted through 4 weeks of postoperative follow-up in all patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murali
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Uretsky
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Tokarczyk
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Betschart
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kormos
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hardesty
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D000527:Alprostadil; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D000075202:Contraindications; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D009599:Nitroprusside; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D000527:Alprostadil; D005996:Nitroglycerin