Digitalis Induced Haemodynamic Changes in Patients with Vascular Disease during a Preoperative Exercise Test

Haemodynamic studies at rest and during exercise before and after digitalization were carried out in 11 patients with vascular disease. Haemodynamic parameters at rest were within normal limits except for one patient, who had a cardiac index (CI) below 2.51/min/m2. During exercise 7 of the patients showed impaired left ventricular function. In the resting patients digitalization produced a significant decrease in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and an increase of approximately 15% in left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI) and total oxygen consumption. Myocardial oxygen consumption seemed unchanged as no significant changes were found in the product of mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. After digitalization 6 of 7 patients with impaired left ventricular function showed improved haemodynamic response to exercise while the 4 patients with normal left ventricular function had an unchanged haemodynamic response.