Low-dose versus high-dose intravenous nitroglycerin in the treatment of sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary oedema: a systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on efficacy, safety and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

Sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary oedema (SCAPE) is a menacing medical emergency and a severe form of acute heart failure that requires urgent intervention. Nitroglycerin (NTG) is commonly used in SCAPE management, but the optimal dosing remains uncertain. This meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of high-dose vs low-dose NTG in SCAPE patients, assessing mechanical ventilation need, symptom resolution, hospital stay and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis conducted per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, registered in Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42024527486).

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive search in PubMed, Europe PMC and ScienceDirect up to November 2024. Reference lists of included studies were also reviewed.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing high-dose NTG (≥100 mcg/min) with low-dose NTG (<100 mcg/min) in SCAPE patients were included. Key inclusion criteria were acute dyspnoea (<6 hours), systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥160 mmHg, mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥120 mmHg, respiratory rate (RR) ≥30 breaths/min and sympathetic activation. Exclusion criteria included non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, immediate intubation, NTG contraindications, pregnancy and acute coronary syndrome.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts of identified studies for eligibility. Full texts of potentially relevant articles were then reviewed. Any discordance or disagreements were resolved through discussion, with final decisions made by consensus. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 17.0 and Review Manager 5.4. The Mantel-Haenszel method was applied for dichotomous outcomes, and the inverse variance approach for continuous outcomes. Heterogeneity was assessed via I-squared (I), with a random-effects model applied when needed.

RESULTS

Four studies (one RCT, three observational) with 185 SCAPE patients met inclusion criteria. High-dose NTG reduced mechanical ventilation need (RR=0.31, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.96; p=0.04, I=0%, high certainty) and increased symptom resolution within 6 hours (RR=3.88, 95% CI: 1.95 to 7.71; p<0.001, I=27%, moderate certainty). Hospital stay was shorter (MD=-47.49 hours, 95% CI: -93.76 to -1.21; p=0.04, I=78%, low certainty). No significant difference was found in MACE risk (RR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.06 to 2.68; p=0.35, I=72%, very low certainty). Hypotension incidence was 0% in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose NTG improved clinical outcomes in SCAPE, reducing mechanical ventilation need, symptom duration and hospital stay without increased adverse events. These findings suggest high-dose NTG as a promising treatment strategy. Further large-scale studies are needed to optimise dosing protocols.