Comparison of Acute Hemodynamic Responses to Prostacyclin with Standard Vasodilators in Patients with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

Abstract

Although the benefit of long-term vasodilator therapy in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is still unsettled, efforts have been made to assess the role of evaluations of acute pulmonary vascular reactivity as a guide to long-term pharmacologic therapy.1 Because of problems inherent in these studies and the lack of a specific pulmonary arterial vasodilator, many potential pulmonary vasodilator agents from different pharmacologic classes have been tried in these acute studies.2 These acute drug studies can be lengthy and carry risk of substantial morbidity and even potential mortality.