sublingual nifedipine controls perioperative hypertension
TRANSCRIPT
Sublingual Nifedipine Controls Perioperative Hypertension In elderly patients undergoing eye surgery
19 elderly inpatients, aged 60-93 years who developed perioperative hypertension (supine systolic BP > 200mm Hg or diastolic BP > 11 Omm Hg) during ophthalmologic surgery received sublingual nifedipine 10-20mg.
Mean supine BP fell from 225/122mm Hg to 155/78mm Hg after nifedipine with a mean time to onset of response of 9.47 min and a duration of action > 2 hours (n = 18). Mean heart rate increased from 80 to 82 beats/min (n = 19) after nifedipine except in patients receiving concurrent ~-blockers (mean HR remained unchanged). One patient reported a generalised warm feeling after nifedipine. No significant hypotension, reflex tachycardia or cardiac stimulation. was recorded.
Thus, for elderly patients sublingual nifedipine ' ... may be the drug of choice for the management of
perloperatlve hypertension In this type of procedure'.
Adler AG. Leahy JJ. Cressman MD. Arch1ves of Internal Medicine 146: 1927-1930, Oct 1986
12 INPHARMA• 31 Jen 1987 0158-2703/87/0131-0012/0$01.00/0 ® ADIS Press