[Acute treatment of severe cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Effect and tolerability of ISDN as bolus and continuous infusion].

Isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) was administered intravenously to 21 patients with severe cardiogenic pulmonary edema. In 15 cases the condition was due to coronary heart disease (3 of them had arterial hypertension additionally), and 3 patients due to cardiomyopathy. In the remaining 3 valvular disorders were prevailing. The ISDN solution was administered as an i.v. bolus followed by continuous i.v. injection from an automatic perfusion device. Oxygen, furosemide, and in some cases digitalis were given in addition. Monitoring consisted of clinical surveillance, blood gas analyses, and repeated X-ray control. The results obtained confirm the efficacy and safety of this mode of ISDN administration. This applies particularly for patients in whose therapy is aimed at fast control of life-threatening hypoxia. Despite extreme asphyxia, only three patients needed artificial respiration, one died in cardiogenic shock, while all others were rapidly improved. It could thus be demonstrated that this type of therapy may be safely and efficiently handled by careful clinical supervision, without invasive hemodynamic monitoring.