[Treatment of acute myocardial infarction with sodium nitroprusside (author's transl)]

In 12 patients with acute myocardial infarction, seven of whom had high and five low blood pressure measurements, sodium nitroprusside infusions were given to reduce the myocardial oxygen consumption. The dosage was between 20 and 300 mug/min. Sodium nitroprusside led to a considerable reduction of the systemic arterial pressure, while the left ventricular filling pressure was less influenced. In normotensive patients the filling pressure could often not be sufficiently lowered as a too severe reduction of arterial pressure occurred beforehand. In hypertensive patients the relationship between left ventricular filling pressure and arterial pressure was better: in all patients the arterial pressure could be lowered to normal values and the filling pressure also became normal in most cases. Angina pectoris improved markedly in all patients. These results show that sodium nitroprusside has a satisfactory effect on the haemodynamics in hypertensive infarct patients, whereas it is less suitable for the treatment of normo- or hypotensive patients.