Comparison of nalbuphine hydrochloride versus morphine sulfate for acute myocardial infarction with elevated pulmonary artery wedge pressure.

The hemodynamic and respiratory effects of intravenous nalbuphine hydrochloride and morphine sulfate were compared in a randomized fashion in 20 patients (age 65 +/- 11 years) with acute myocardial infarction and elevated pulmonary artery wedge pressure. Titration of the nalbuphine dose to lower pulmonary artery wedge pressure by greater than or equal to 25% resulted in a decrease of this parameter from 22 +/- 3 to 15 +/- 4 mm Hg, and was associated with a reduction in heart rate from 106 +/- 20 to 96 +/- 19 beats/min (p less than 0.05) and decreases in mean blood pressure (78 +/- 8 to 70 +/- 12 mm Hg, p less than 0.05) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (31 +/- 4 to 22 +/- 5 mm Hg, p less than 0.05), without any remarkable change seen in cardiac index (2.21 +/- 0.43 to 2.22 +/- 0.50 liter/min/m2, difference not significant), stroke volume index (22 +/- 7 to 23 +/- 4 ml/m2, difference not significant), stroke work index (17 +/- 7 to 18 +/- 7 g.m/m2), or systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances (1,675 +/- 333 to 1,513 +/- 508 and 191 +/- 78 to 170 +/- 109 dynes.s.cm-5 respectively, all differences not significant). Nalbuphine also significantly reduced respiratory rate (32 +/- 8 to 26 +/- 8 resp/min, p less than 0.05) and pH (7.45 +/- 0.04 to 7.41 +/- 0.03, p less than 0.05) and increased arterial PCO2 (32 +/- 6 to 35 +/- 6 mm Hg, p less than 0.05) without any major change in arterial PO2 (63 +/- 13 to 66 +/- 17 mm Hg, difference not significant).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)