The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 29, 70-73, Copyright © 1980 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Use of nitroprusside for control of pulmonary hypertension in repair of ventricular septal defect
PA Faraci, HF Rheinlander and RJ Cleveland
After repair of ventricular septal defect (VSD) in a 3-year-old child with
markedly elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), sodium nitroprusside
was administered by intravenous infusion at 3.0 microgram per kilogram of
body weight per minute. Nitroprusside was effective in reducing pulmonary
artery pressure and increasing systemic blood pressure in the
intraoperative and early post-operative periods. It is suggested that
nitroprusside may facilitate the perioperative management and enhance the
early survival in patients with increased PVR secondary to a VSD.