Ll. Davis et al., EFFECT OF PROSTACYCLIN ON MICROVASCULAR PRESSURES IN A PATIENT WITH PULMONARY VENOOCCLUSIVE DISEASE, Chest, 108(6), 1995, pp. 1754-1756
Continuous-infusion prostacyclin improves symptom scores and decreases
mortality in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, but use of
prostacyclin in patients with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease may pr
ecipitate pulmonary edema. A patient with pulmonary veno-occlusive dis
ease received a graduated intravenous infusion of prostacyclin and pul
monary capillary pressures were calculated during prostacyclin dose ra
nging. Calculated capillary pressure increased with low-dose prostacyc
lin (less than or equal to 6 ng/kg/min) but decreased,vith higher dose
s. These data suggest that the post-capillary pulmonary venules in our
patient had reversible vasomotor tone, but required a higher dose of
prostacyclin to vasodilate than did the precapillary arterioles.