Nitroglycerine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (author's transl)

The effect of 0.8 mg nitroglycerine on haemodynamics and pulmonary functions was examined in 12 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Resting heart rate was increased from 72 to 82/min by nitroglycerine, but at rest and on exercise there was only a slight reduction in systolic blood pressure, the diastolic level remaining essentially unchanged. There was a decrease in cardiac index of 16 and 15% at rest and on exercise, respectively. A highly insignificant reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure occurred both at rest and on exercise. Respiratory variations of pulmonary artery pressure markedly decreased after nitroglycerine and correlated well with airway resistance, which fell by 28%. Pulmonary vascular resistance fell from 188 to 149 dyn.s.cm-5. Vital capacity increased after nitroglycerine as a sign of reduction of pulmonary emphysema. Partial pressure of arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide showed no definite changes at unchanged respiratory rates. Thus nitroglycerine produces a marked improvement in haemodynamics and pulmonary function without any increase in ventilatory distribution abnormalities. These results support the use of nitroglycerine as one of several means of treating chronic obstructive pulmo...Continue Reading