Objective: To investigate the possibility of early prevention and treatment of acute lung injury by using composite Rhodiolae (CR) in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension during extracorporeal circulation.
Methods: Seventy-six patients with severe pulmonary hypertension screened out by color 2D-Doppler ultrasonography were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 40) and the control group (n = 36). The general treatment for the two groups, including preoperational preparation, operational procedure and conventional drug therapy, was the same. To the treated group, CR was administered 4 g every day (half the dose in children) at 7-10 day before and 5-7 day after the operation. The life signs, pulmonary ventilation parameters, arterial blood gas analysis were monitored and blood levels of TXB2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in both groups were determined in the fixed time points.
Results: The various parameters in the treated group were all better than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), the occurrence rate of acute lung injury and its mortality in the treated group were 7.5% (3/40) and 0% (0/3) respectively, while in the control group were 19.4% (7/36) and 43% (3/7) respectively.
Conclusion: CR has good preventive and treatment effect in treating complicated acute lung injury during extracorporeal circulation (cardiopulmonary bypass) in patients with pulmonary hypertension.