title: Rapid assessment and safe management of severe pulmonary hypertension with milrinone during orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: The incidence of porto-pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in patients with end stage liver disease is 8.5%. Evidence indicates that proceeding with orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in patients diagnosed with severe PPHN (mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP]>45 mmHg) at the time of OLT surgery is associated with high perioperative mortality. We describe a case of severe PPHN that was diagnosed by right heart catheterization at the time of surgery. We quickly determined the reversibility of PPHN with a bolus of milrinone and proceeded with OLT. Further episodes of pulmonary hypertension were successfully managed with continuous milrinone infusion and transesophageal echocardiography monitoring. Reversibility via vasodilator trial after identification of high pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) may be an important indication of the feasibility of OLT. Milrinone may be useful for the rapid identification of the reversibility of high PAP and may be an effective agent to control abrupt increases in PAP during OLT.
authors.affiliation: Division of Solid Organ Transplantation, Department of Anesthesiology, Preoperative Medicine and Pain Management, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Kyota
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukazawa
authors.forename: Liviu C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Poliac
authors.forename: Ernesto A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Pretto
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000628:therapy*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020105:Milrinone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D020105:Milrinone