Comparative study between the effects of clevidipine and nitroglycerine in patients with pulmonary hypertension undergoing mitral valve replacement

ABSTRACT

Pulmonary hypertension [PHT] is commonly found in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement [MVR]. Various pharmacologic agents have been used to decrease the pulmonary artery pressure in pulmonary hypertensive patients. Clevidipine is a third-generation IV dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, specific arterial dilator, with rapid onset and offset. The aim of the present study was to compare between the effects of clevidipine and nitroglycerine on pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics as well as pulmonary oxygenation. Thirty patients with PHT scheduled for elective MVR were enrolled in this study and randomly allocated into 2 groups. Patients received either nitroglycerin infusion at 0.25-10 microg/kg/min [NTG group] or clevidipine infusion at 0.4-8 microg/kg/min [CLV group]. Pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic parameters as well as oxygenation data were measured after induction of anesthesia, after weaning from CPB before the start of the study medication, and after 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 4 hours from the start of the study medication. The incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation and total ICU and hospital length of stays were also recorded. The mean pulmonary artery pressure [MPAP], pulmonary vascular resistance [PVR], pulmonary capillary wedge pressure [PCWP], mean arterial blood pressure [MAP], and systemic vascular resistance [SVR] were significantly lower in the CLV group compared to the NTG group. In both groups, these parameters were significantly lower at 30 min, 2 hours, and 4 hours after drug administration compared to pre-drug administration values. There was no statistical significant change in the heart rate [HR] in the CLV group, however, it was significantly increased at 30 min, 2 hours, and 4 hours after drug administration compared to pre-drug administration values in the NTG group. The cardiac index [Cl] was significantly increased at 30 min, 2 hours, and 4 hours after drug administration compared to pre-drug administration values in CLV group and was statistically higher than NTG group. There was a non significant decrease in the PaO[2]/Fi0[2] and no significant change in PaCO[2] and SvO[2] at 30 min, 2 hours, and 4 hours after drug administration compared to pre-drug administration values in both groups with no statistical difference between the two groups. Clevidipine is a valuable alternative to nitroglycerine in the treatment of PHT in patients undergoing MVR as it showed better pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic profiles and did not worsen pulmonar] oxygenation