Acute postoperative digitalization of patients with arteriosclerotic heart disease after major surgery. A randomized haemodynamic study and proposal for therapy.
Twenty patients with impaired left ventricular function during exercise, who underwent major vascular surgery for arteriosclerotic disease, were randomly digitalized in the immediate postoperative period. All patients had a smooth postoperative course. Haemodynamic measurements showed improved left ventricular function in those who received digitalis, since 60 min after full digitalization the digitalized patients had a highly significant decrease in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) with unchanged stroke volume index (SVI) and left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI). The same improvement in cardiac function was present the next morning. The present study provides haemodynamic data in support of clinical studies showing a beneficial effect of prophylactic digitalization in surgical patients with clinical signs of arteriosclerotic heart disease, though not in overt failure.
D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004071:Digitalis Glycosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011897:Random Allocation
D004071:Digitalis Glycosides