Reduction of Pulmonary Artery Pressure in Patients Subjected to Cardiac Surgery

Intravenous Clonidine Does Not Reduce Pulmonary Artery Pressure in Patients Subjected to Cardiac

The aim of this study is to assess the ability of clonidine to reduce the mean pulmonary artery pressure in patients with pulmonary hypertension subjected to cardiac surgery.

Prospective, clinical-interventionist, randomized, and double-blind study. Patients with group 2 pulmonary hypertension will be included and subjected to cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation. Mean pulmonary artery pressure and the doses of dobutamine and sodium nitroprusside will be assessed four times: before (T0) administration of 2 μg/kg of intravenous clonidine or a placebo, 30 minutes after the onset of treatment (T1), immediately after extracorporeal circulation (T2), and 10 minutes after the injection of protamine (T3).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Signing an informed consent form,
• Aged 18 to 80 years
• Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease,
• Physical status 2 or 3 according to the classification system of the American Society of Anesthesiologists,
• Subjected to cardiac circulation with extracorporeal circulation