Cerebral hemodynamics during treatment with sodium nitroprusside versus labetalol in malignant hypertension.
In patients with malignant hypertension, immediate blood pressure reduction is indicated to prevent further organ damage. Because cerebral autoregulatory capacity is impaired in these patients, a pharmacologically induced decline of blood pressure reduces cerebral blood flow with the danger of cerebral hypoperfusion. We compared the reduction in transcranial Doppler-determined middle cerebral artery blood velocity during blood pressure lowering with sodium nitroprusside with that of labetalol. Therefore, in 15 patients, fulfilling World Health Organization criteria for malignant hypertension, beat-to-beat mean arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance (Modelflow), mean middle cerebral artery blood velocity, and cerebrovascular resistance index (mean blood pressure:mean middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity ratio), were monitored during treatment with sodium nitroprusside (n=8) or labetalol (n=7). The reduction in mean arterial blood pressure with sodium nitroprusside (-28+/-3%; mean+/-SEM) and labetalol (-28+/-4%) was comparable. With labetalol, both systemic and cerebral vascular resistance decreased proportionally (-13+/-10% and -17+/-5%), whereas with sodium nitroprusside, the decline in systemic vascular resistance was larger than that in cerebral vascular resistance (-53+/-4% and -7+/-4%). The rate of reduction in middle cerebral artery blood velocity was smaller with labetalol than with sodium nitroprusside (0.45+/-0.05% versus 0.78+/-0.04% cm.s(-1).%mm Hg(-1); P<0.05). In conclusion, sodium nitroprusside reduced systemic vascular resistance rather than cerebral vascular resistance with a larger rate of reduction in middle cerebral artery blood velocity, suggesting a preferential blood flow to the low resistance systemic vascular bed rather than the cerebral vascular bed.
Immink
Rogier V
RV
Medium Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center F7-205, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
van den Born
Bert-Jan H
BJ
van Montfrans
Gert A
GA
Kim
Yu-Sok
YS
Hollmann
Markus W
MW
van Lieshout
Johannes J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006974:Hypertension, Malignant / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007741:Labetalol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D007741:Labetalol