Hemodynamic and ventilatory effects of intravenous salbutamol in patients affected by cold

Hemodynamic and ventilatory effects of i.v. administration of salbutamol (3 micrograms/kg body weight) have been studied in 6 patients affected by chronic obstructive lung disease. A fall of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), pulmonary vascular resistances index (PVRI), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and systemic vascular resistances index (SVRI) have been found significant. Furthermore, heart rate (HR), cardiac index (CI) and left ventricle dp/dt max (LV dp/dt max) were early and remarkably increased. At 30 min after drug administration such effects disappeared in all patients. Regarding the ventilatory data, the authors assume that a significant and precocious FEV1 and vital capacity increase was still present at 30 min. Hemodynamic effects can be related to either an increased venous return due to peripheral vasodilatation or to a beta 1-cardiac receptor stimulation.