Hemodynamic effects of nifedipine in post-surgical patients

pp 125-134

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine the bemodynamics variations induced by a single sublingual dose of nifedipine (20 mg) administer- ed to ten patients in their early postoperative course of open heart procedure (between the 6th and 12th hour). The mean population age was 53 years; eight subjects were males and two females. The subjects were studied in the control state and 30 minutes after administration of the drug. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased 16% (p < 0:01), pulmonary wedge pressure (PWP) decreased 18% (p < 0.01). A dramatic fall in the systemic vascular resistance (SVR) (-32%; p< 0.01) and the pulmonary arteriolar resistance (PAR) (-31%; P < 0.05) was noted, whereas cardiac index (CI) and heart rate (HR) increased 310/0 and 7010, respectively (p < 0.05). Nifedipine improved the hemodynamic performance of the all group of patients, mainly due to the immediate decrease. of right and left after loads that significantly followed drug administration. The degree of basal cardio-depression and high vascular resistances is significantly related with a highter magnitude of acute hemodynamic improvement in our patients. Thus, nifedipine administration in the early postoperative period has a predictable hemodynamic effect, fast response and no drug administration deletereous consequences related. We speculate whether or not htis acuté improvement in the hemodynamics is to be related with a better outcome of those patients with severe postoperative cardiac depression.