Therapeutic application of inhaled nitric oxide in adult cardiac surgical patients.

Increased pulmonary vascular resistance can be detrimental to the cardiac output in post-operative cardiac surgical patients. Pulmonary vasodilator therapy by systemic pharmacologic agents is non-selective. Inhaled nitric oxide is a selective pulmonary vasodilator and does not cause systemic hypotension. In this prospective study, 14 adult post-operative cardiac surgical patients with pulmonary hypertension underwent inhaled nitric oxide therapy and their hemodynamic changes were evaluated. Inhaled nitric oxide was administered in doses of 5 ppm-25 ppm. The result was a decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance from 456.57 +/- 137.13 to 357.64 +/- 119.80 dynes-sec- Continued. - See Free Full Text.