The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Apr 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialBridging to heart transplantation: prostaglandin E1 versus prostacyclin versus dobutamine.
Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and prostacyclin have potent pulmonary and systemic vasodilating properties. This prospective, randomized trial compared PGE1 vs prostacyclin vs. low-dose dobutamine in patients with low-output heart failure awaiting heart transplantation (HTx) who were refractory to oral treatment. ⋯ The findings from this prospective open pilot trial suggest that continuous PGE1 infusions at individualized dosages can be useful in certain patients as a pharmacologic bridging procedure with reduced risk to develop worsening heart failure before HTx compared to prostacyclin and dobutamine. Further comparative studies are warranted to investigate the effects of PGE1 among other bridging agents.