%0 Journal Article %A Shilpa A. DeSouza %A Kristen D. Sagliani %A Ioana R. Preston %A Kari E. Roberts %A Archan Shah %A Nicholas S. Hill %T Comparison of hemodynamic effects of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and inhaled epoprostenol (iEPO) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) %D 2011 %J European Respiratory Journal %P p2379 %V 38 %N Suppl 55 %X Rationale: Acute vasodilator testing with iNO during right heart catheterization in pulmonary arterial hypertension predicts suvival and response to calcium channel blockers. iEPO is less expensive than iNO with fewer systemic effects than intravenous EPO. We hypothesized that iEPO has similar vasodilatory efficacy as iNO and their combination has additive effects.Methods: Prospective double-blinded study of PH treatment-naïve consecutive patients. Patients >18 years, WHO Group1-5 with pulmonary capillary wedge pressures ≤ 20 were included. Patients received iNO, iEPO and their combination in random order, with a washout phase between treatments. Hemodynamics at baseline and treatments were reported as%change, means±SD. Correlation was assessed with regression analysis. p<0.05 was significant.Results: Patients enrolled: Group 1 (11), Group 2 (9), Group 3 (1), Group 4 (1), Group 5 (1). 2 did not complete the study (hypoxemia and dyspnea respectively). Mean pulmonary artery pressures (mPAP) in Groups 1, 2 and other groups were 47±12, 35±7 and 35±9.2. Mean pulmonary vascular resistances (PVR) were 628±352, 416±323 and 397±80. Mean cardiac outputs (CO) were 5.0±1.3, 4.7±1.3 and 4.9±0.6. The 2 vasodilators correlated significantly and did not have additive effects.View this table:Conclusions: iNO and iEPO have similar effects on hemodynamics in PH patients. iEPO may be a less expensive alternative. %U