[Intravenous infusions of nitroglycerin in unstable stenocardia]

Clinical and prognostic significance of intravenous nitroglycerin infusions (INI) were studied in 127 patients with unstable angina pectoris. INI dose ranged from 25 to 800 micrograms/min (mean 198.2 +/- 21.8 micrograms/min), the duration varied from 2 h to 20 days (mean 5.2 days). Unfavorable effects occurred in 50 patients (39.3%): 18 patients developed myocardial infarction which was fatal in 10 cases, one died of circulatory insufficiency, transluminal angioplasty was performed in 6, aortocoronary shunting in 26. INI promoted stabilization of the disease in 77 patients (60.7%). They were discharged from the hospital to continue on maintenance therapy.