[Pharmacological stress echocardiography--a new non-invasive follow-up examination of intermittent ventilation].
BACKGROUND
Patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency frequently develop pulmonary hypertension. Non-invasive intermittent ventilation is usually very successful in these patients to improve blood gas exchange and clinical symptoms. Alterations of pulmonary hemodynamics during non-invasive intermittent ventilation are rarely described. Pharmacological stress echocardiography of the right heart is a new method to examine pulmonary hemodynamics. Aim of this study was to answer the question whether non-invasive intermittent ventilation improves pulmonary hemodynamics.


METHODS
Five patients are examined prior to and during non-invasive intermittent ventilation by right ventricular stress echocardiography at rest and during exercise. Pulmonary arterial pressure was registered and compared. The effectiveness of intermittent ventilation was evaluated with respect to blood gas analytic values.


RESULTS
During non-invasive intermittent ventilation all 5 patients improved their pulmonary arterial mean (PAP mean) and systolic pressure, but no statistical significant changes could be observed during the 4.5-months follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-invasive intermittent ventilation improves the pulmonary hemodynamics at rest and during exercise the results not being significant.
Herth
F
F
Thoraxklinik der LVA Baden, Innere Medizin-Abteilung Pneumologie, Heidelberg. EndoscopyHD@t-online.de
Wiebel
M
M
Schulz
V
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004280:Dobutamine; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007385:Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D004280:Dobutamine
Medikamentöse Stressechokardiographie--eine neue nichtinvasive Untersuchung in der Verlaufsbeobachtung bei intermittierender Selbstbeatmung.