In-vitro and in-vivo comparisons of high versus low concentrations of inhaled epoprostenol to adult intubated patients

Table 3 Comparisons of responses to iEPO between high and low concentration delivery strategies

iEPO indications	High concentration delivery			Low concentration delivery			p
iEPO indications	Pre	Post	p	Pre	Post	p	p
Overall
HR, beats/min	101.6 ± 20.7	100.7 ± 21.2	0.496	103.9 ± 19.6	102.7 ± 18.9	0.301	0.949
RR, breaths/min	24.0 ± 7.4	24.1 ± 6.4	0.923	25.5 ± 7.4	25.1 ± 7.3	0.373	0.964
mBP, mm Hg	77.3 (69.3, 85)	75.0 (68.0, 84.0)	0.158	74 (67.8, 84.5)	75 (70.0, 82.2)	0.669	0.773
Hypoxemia (n = 58 high concentration vs 56 low concentration)
SpO₂/F_IO₂	89.5 (84, 102.5)	99 (91.8, 134.6)	< 0.001	93.5 (88, 106.4)	98.5(93, 121.3)	< 0.001	0.436
PaO₂/F_IO₂, mm Hg^a	67(57, 101.4)	113.3 (78.9, 169.2)	< 0.001	73 (59, 88.8)	107.5 (77.8, 148.3)	< 0.001	0.948
PEEP, cm H₂O	13.0 ± 4.2	13.3 ± 4.6	0.403	13.2 ± 5.0	12.9 ± 4.6	0.263	0.197
Pulmonary hypertension (n = 30 high concentration vs 25 low concentration)
mPAP, mmHg^b	39.1 ± 11.6	34.5 ± 10.3	0.012	36.7 ± 9.0	31.7 ± 7.3	0.019	0.551
CO, L/min^c	4.2 ± 0.5	5.3 ± 1.1	0.003	6.3 ± 2.1	6.0 ± 1.8	0.635	0.337
CI, L/min/m^{2 d}	2.22 ± 0.32	2.75 ± 0.70	0.006	3.23 ± 1.24	2.97 ± 0.92	0.593	0.231
SvO₂, %^e	65.6 ± 15.5	67.1 ± 15.4	0.131	65.2 ± 12.2	64.9 ± 8.3	1.0	0.429
Right heart failure (n = 20 high concentration vs 14 low concentration)
mPAP, mmHg^f	33.4 ± 14	29.8 ± 10.3	0.094	29.9 ± 7.1	27.6 ± 3.8	0.283	0.979
CO, L/min^g	4.4 ± 0.6	5.5 ± 1.1	0.011	6.2 ± 3.1	6.2 ± 2.4	1.0	0.359
CI, L/min/m^{2 h}	2.32 ± 0.37	2.89 ± 0.56	0.008	3.20 ± 2.06	2.95 ± 1.32	0.606	0.141
SvO₂, %ⁱ	67.2 ± 10.8	68.2 ± 10.5	0.426	67.8 ± 14.7	65.8 ± 13.4	0.236	0.142

iEPO inhaled epoprostenol, HR heart rate, RR respiratory rate, mBP mean blood pressure, mPAP mean pulmonary arterial pressure, SpO₂ saturation of pulse oximetry, F_IO₂ fraction of inspired oxygen, PaO₂ partial pressure of arterial oxygen, PEEP positive end expiratory pressure, CO cardiac output, CI cardiac index, SvO₂ saturation of mixed venous oxygen
^aData was available in 45 and 35 patients in intermittent and continuous delivery group, respectively
^bData was available in 22, 15 patients in two groups
^cData was available in 12, 9 patients in two groups
^dData was available in 13, 9 patients in two groups
^eData was available in 7, 10 patients in two groups
^fData was available in 14, 7 patients in two groups
^gData was available in 8, 4 patients in two groups
^hData was available in 9, 4 patients in two groups
ⁱData was available in 6, 4 patients in two groups

ISSN: 1465-993X