Effects of Nifedipine on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Patients with Respiratory Insufficiency without Acute Failure

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Abstract
Permanent pulmonary arterial hypertension is a standard part of the prognosis for patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency. As a decrease of pulmonary arterial hypoxic vasoconstriction may be obtained by Ca antagonists, the effects of nifedipine (10 mg sublingually) were studied in 10 patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency with acute respiratory failure. Maximal expiratory air flow was not altered. The pulmonary antihypertensive action of this drug, which is less effective than O2 breathing at low concentration, was associated with a constant decrease of arterial O2 partial pressure; the O2 transport was not sustained for every patient. Considerable caution should be exercised in using this drug for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency without acute failure.