INHALED NITRIC-OXIDE IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE HEART-FAILURE - CHANGES IN LUNG PERFUSION AND VENTILATION DETECTED USING SCINTIGRAPHY

Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) is a selective pulmonary vasodilator in pati ents with end-stage cardiac failure. Preoperative high pulmonary Vascu lar resistence could modify early and late results after heart transpl antation generally due to right-ventricular failure. Aim of this study was to assess pulmonary Vascular resistence variability following inh alation of NO by using a scintigraphic method. Our preliminary results suggest that inhaled NO in patients with end-stage heart failure redi stributes blood away from apical regions and towards more basal and po sterior segments, probably dilating blood vessels in ventilated but no nperfused zones. NO may represent a simple and reliable method to eval uate dynamic response of pulmonary vasculature.