THE INFLUENCE OF ALBUNEX ON THE PULMONARY CIRCULATION IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION OR LEFT-HEART FAILURE

To determine the safety of the ultrasound contrast agent Albunex, its influence on right and left heart haemodynamics in patients with pulmo nary artery hypertension or left heart failure was assessed after intr avenous injection. Patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction smaller than 40% or a systolic pulmonary artery pressure greater than 40 mmHg received 0.08 and 0.22 ml . kg(-1) Albunex and 10 mi albumin i n random order during right heart catheterization and transthoraeic ec hocardiography. Right atrial, systolic and diastolic pulmonary artery and capillary wedge pressures were measured at 3 min and 5 min and car diac output at 5 min after the intravenous injection of Albunex and co ntrol The mean differences of pre- and postinjection values and their confidence intervals were tabulated and significance was anticipated i f the confidence interval did not include 0. Significant changes to pr e-injection values could be observed in diastolic pulmonary artery pre ssure 5 min after the injection of albumin and 0.08 ml . kg(-1) Albune x, and in right atrial pressure 5 min after the injection of 0.22 ml . kg(-1) Albunex only. Since intermediate opacification of the left ven tricle was seen in only four patients with 0.22 ml . kg(-1) Albunex, i n the patients studied higher doses of Albunex and their safety need t o be assessed.