Vasodilator response and prediction of survival in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

In an effort to find an accurate prediction of survival in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) patients with severe respiratory distress and persistent pulmonary hypertension, we reviewed the response to vasodilators and te clinical course of 13 patients with this condition. All patients had been operated upon within the first 24 hr of life and had postoperative descending aortic PaO2 values less than or equal to 50 torr on maximum ventilatory support. The only significant change in standard blood gas values after an intravenous test dose of 2 mg/kg of tolazoline was in the PaO2 (p less than 0.05). Patients with good response (PaO2 increase greater than 100 torr) survived. Patients with fair response (PaO2 increase between 20 and 100 torr) had equivocal survival. Patients with poor response (PaO2 increase less than 20 torr) died. There was a postoperative period up to several weeks of marked fluctuations in arterial oxygen tension in survivors before stability occurred. Vasodilator responsiveness appears to be an accurate, therapeutic indicator of the chances for survival in CDH patients with persistent pulmonary hypertension and right to left shunting.