Long-term prostacyclin infusion to reduce pulmonary hypertension in a pediatric cardiac transplant candidate prior to transplantation.
Pulmonary hypertension represents a significant risk factor for peri-operative death in patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. Heart-lung transplantation is generally the only procedure available for patients whose pulmonary hypertension can not be reversed by conventional pharmacologic means. We present a pediatric patient with end-stage cardiac disease and refractory pulmonary hypertension who was treated with long-term intravenous prostacyclin. This resulted in a significant enough improvement in her hemodynamics to allow for successful cardiac transplantation alone.
Kao
B
B
Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Balzer
D T
DT
Huddleston
C B
CB
Canter
C E
CE
D000293:Adolescent; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000075202:Contraindications; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D016041:Heart-Lung Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D011292:Premedication; D012307:Risk Factors; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011464:Epoprostenol