Effects of intravenous phentolamine on hemodynamics and resting pulmonary gas exchange in man.

The influence of intravenous phentolamine on hemodynamics, ventilation, and blood gases were studied in 22 patients with cardiac disease. Phentolamine produced a significant increase in the heart rate and cardiac index and a significant decrease in the mean arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure, peripheral vascular resistance, and pulmonary vascular resistance. There was no significant change in the arterial pH, PO2, PCO2, alveolar-arterial PO2, and the dead space-tidal volume ratio. The favorable hemodynamic responses are attributable to the fact that the vasodilator effect of phentolamine is predominately on the arteriolar resistance bed and much less on the venous capacitance bed. In addition, phentolamine has a positive inotropic action which is indirect and dependent on the release of norepinephrine.