<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the immediately effects of inhaled aerosolized
iloprost in
adult patients with severe
pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
secondary to
congenital heart diseases (CHD).</p><p><b>
METHODS </b>
Adult patients with severe PAH
secondary to CHD (n = 165) were included in this study. Right
heart catheterization was performed, Pulmonary and systemic
blood flow , the
oxygen consumption VO(2) (ml/min) were calculated using Fick's principle. Pulmonary vascular resistances (PVR) were calculated with standard formulas and indexed to
body surface area .
Hemodynamic parameters were measured before and after
iloprost inhalation (20 µg).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Post
iloprost inhalation ,
heart rate ,
mean aortic pressure , pulmonary
systolic pressure to aortic
systolic pressure ratio all remained
un changed (P > 0.05), while
pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) were significantly reduced and Qp significantly increased from (7.2 ± 4.8) L/min to (9.9 ± 7.2) L/min (P < 0.01), PVR was also significantly reduced from (13.4 ± 8.7)
Wood units to (9.5 ± 6.6)
Wood units (P < 0.01), and left-to-right shunt volume increased from (3.2 ± 4.4) L/min to (5.5 ± 7.0) L/min (P < 0.01) and right-to-left shunt volume decreased from (1.0 ± 1.0) L/min to (0.7 ± 0.7) L/min (P < 0.01). Subgroup
analysis showed that
adult patients with
patent ductus arteriosus and/or
ventricular septal defects are more likely to develop severe
pulmonary arterial hypertension or
Eisenmenger syndrome than
patients with
atrial septal defects .</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Inhaled Aerosolised
iloprost use is effective and safe for
adult patients with severe
pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to
congenital heart diseases .</p>