PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bush, A
AU  - Busst, C M
AU  - Knight, W B
AU  - Shinebourne, E A
TI  - Comparison of the haemodynamic effects of epoprostenol (prostacyclin) and tolazoline.
AID  - 10.1136/hrt.60.2.141
DP  - 1988 Aug 01
TA  - British Heart Journal
PG  - 141--148
VI  - 60
IP  - 2
4099  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/60/2/141.short
4100  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/60/2/141.full
SO  - Heart1988 Aug 01; 60
AB  - The haemodynamic effects of infusion of epoprostenol (prostacyclin) and bolus injection of tolazoline were compared in a crossover study in 11 children with pulmonary hypertension caused by pulmonary vascular disease. The children were studied during cardiac catheterisation, while they were anaesthetised, paralysed, and ventilated with 100% oxygen. The order of drug administration was not randomised because tolazoline has a half life of hours whereas epoprostenol has a half life of a few minutes. Both drugs caused pulmonary and systemic vasodilatation, and there were no significant differences between the two. The 95% confidence intervals suggest that tolazoline did not have a clinically important haemodynamic advantage over epoprostenol. Previous reports suggest that serious side effects are common when tolazoline is used in repeated doses; epoprostenol has only a few minor side effects that are rapidly reversible when the infusion is stopped. Epoprostenol is more expensive than tolazoline but this study suggests that epoprostenol is a more suitable pulmonary vasodilator if more than a single dose is required.