Table 1

Patient characteristics and haemodynamics

Variable	Prostaglandin treatment	Conventional treatment	p value
Age (years)	34.0	43.0	0.22
Sex
Male	26	28	0.77
Female	48	44
NYHA
Grade I and II	3	32	< 0.001
Grade III and IV	69	39
Diagnosis
PPH	59	49	0.16
Secondary	15	23
Vasodilator response
None	24	26	0.73
Acute	37	33
Svo2
< 60%	42	22	0.002
⩾ 60%	30	48
Right heart catheter
Before vasodilator
mRAP (mm Hg)^1-150	12.0	8.0	0.005
mPAP (mm Hg)^1-151	66.9 (16.6)	58.0 (16.7)	0.001
Svo ₂(%)^1-151	56.5 (9.0)	63.0 (11.2)	< 0.001
CO (l/min)^1-150	2.8	3.6	< 0.001
CI (l/min/m²)^1-150	1.7	2.1	< 0.001
PVR (Wood units)^1-150	18.7	14.6	< 0.001
After vasodilator
mPAP (mm Hg)^1-151	64.6 (17.6)	55.6 (16.4)	0.004
Svo2 (%)^1-151	64.6 (8.7)	71.4 (9.7)	< 0.001
CO (l/min)^1-150	3.6	4.8	< 0.001
PVR (wu)^1-150	15.5	10.0	< 0.001

↵1-150 Median values; Mann-Whitney test used for comparison.
↵1-151 Mean (SD) values; unpaired t test used for comparison.
A χ² test was used to compare proportions.
CO, cardiac output; CI, cardiac index; mPAP, mean pulmonary arterial pressure; mRAP, mean right atrial pressure; NYHA, New York Heart Association grade; PPH, primary pulmonary hypertension; PVR, pulmonary vascular resistance; secondary, pulmonary hypertension secondary to systemic disease or thromboembolism; Svo ₂, mixed venous oxygen saturation.