title: A double blind placebo controlled trial of intravenous prostacyclin (PGI2) in 108 patients with ischaemic peripheral vascular disease.
abstract: 108 patients with ischemic peripheral vascular disease were randomly allocated to receive infusion of either PGI2 (6 ng/kg/min over 8 hours daily for 5 consecutive days) or placebo in a double-blind manner. All patients had Stage II disease (Fontaine classification). One month after infusion the absolute and relative walking times were significantly (p less than 0.05) longer in the PGI2- than in the placebo-treated group. Patients were further classified as treatment responders or non-responders on the basis of increase of absolute and relative walking times. After one month 44% (24 out of 54) of the PGI2- and 15% (8 out of 54) of the placebo-treated patients were positive treatment-responders (p less than 0.01).
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Policlinic, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Virgolini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fitscha
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Linet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sinzinger
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007511:Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010919:Placebos
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D011464:Epoprostenol