Abstract
The cardiovascular effects and blood levels of intravenous nitroglycerin in mother and foetus were studied in normotensive and hypertensive ewes. Although nitroglycerin produced a reduction in uterine blood flow following a decrease in blood pressure, there was little if any incidence of adverse effects in the foetus. Nitroglycerin was detected in all but two samples of foetal arterial blood but the foetal/maternal artery ratio was only 0.04. Nitroglycerin merits further evaluation for the treatment of acute hypertensive episodes in the preeclamptic patient.
Résumé
Les effets cardiovasculaires et le niveau sanguin maternel et foetal de la nitroglycérine ont été étudiés chez la brebis normotensive et hypertensive. Bien que la nitroglycérine ait causé une diminution du débit sanguin utérin à la suite de la baisse de la tension artérielle, on n’a pu constater que peu ou pas d’effets nocifs sur le foetus. La nitroglycérine a été détectée dans tous les échantillons de sang artériel foetal à l’exception de deux et le rapport entre le sang foetal et maternel n’a été que de 0.04. La nitroglycérine mérite une évaluation plus approfondie pour le traitement de la crise hypertensive de la parturiente pré-éclamptique.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Prys-Roberts, C., Greene, L.T., Meloche, R. &Foëx, P. Studies of anaesthesia in relation to hypertension II. Haemodynamic consequences of induction and endotracheal intubation. Brit. J. Anaesth.43: 531 (1971).
Boulos, B.M., Davis, L.E., Almond, C.H. &Jackson, R.L. Placental transfer of diazoxide and its hazardous effect on the newborn. J. Clin. Pharmacol.11: 206 (1971).
Perkins, R.P. Diazoxide in treatment of severe preeclampsia and hypertensive encephalopathy. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.126: 296 (1976).
Kaplan, J.A., Dunbar, R.W. &Jones, E.L. Nitroglycerin infusion during coronary-artery surgery. Anesthesiology45: 14 (1976).
Chestnut, J.S., Albin, M.S., Gonzalez-Abola, E., Newfield, P. &Maroon, J.C. Clinical evaluation of intravenous nitroglycerin for neurosurgery. J. Neurosurg.48: 704 (1978).
Batson, H.C. An Introduction to Statistics in the Medical Sciences. Minneapolis: Burgess (1956).
Greiss, F.C. Jr. Pressure-flow relationship in the gravid uterine vascular bed. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.96: 41 (1966).
Greiss, F.C. Jr. &Van Wilkes, D. Effects of sympathomimetic drugs and angiotensin on the uterine vascular bed. Obstet. Gynecol.23: 925 (1964).
Ladner, C., Brinkman, C.R. III, Weston, P. &Assali, N.S. Dynamics of uterine circulation in pregnant and nonpregnant sheep. Am. J. Physiol.218: 257 (1970).
Wheeler, A.S., James, F.M., Greiss, F.C, Meis, P.J., Rose, J.R., Fishburne, J.I, &Dewan, D.M. Nitroglycerin and the uterine vasculature in gravid ewes. Anesthesiology51: S291 (1979).
Ralston, D.H., Shnider, S.M. &DeLorimier, A.A. Effects of equipotent ephedrine, metaraminol, mephentermine and methoxamine on uterine blood flow in the pregnant ewe. Anesthesiology40: 354 (1974).
Needleman, P., Lang, S. &Johnson, E.M. Organic nitrates: relationship between biotransformation and rational angina pectoris therapy. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.181: 489 (1972).
Jack, R.D. Toxicity of sodium nitroprusside. Brit. J. Anaesth.46: 952 (1974).
Naulty, N.S., Cefalo, R. &Rodkey, F.L. Placental transfer and fetal toxicity of sodium nitroprusside. A.S.A. Abstracts, 543 (1976).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rosayro, M.d., Nahrwold, M.L., Hill, A.B. et al. Plasma levels and cardiovascular effects of nitroglycerin in pregnant sheep. Canad. Anaesth. Soc. J. 27, 560–564 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03006886
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03006886