Implication of inhaled nitric oxide for the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients with pulmonary hypertension

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to analyse whether inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) was beneficial in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with pulmonary hypertension. Methods and results: Five critically ill COVID-19 patients with pulmonary hypertension designated Cases 1–5 were retrospectively included. Clinical data before and after iNO treatment were serially collected and compared between patients with or without iNO treatment. The five cases experienced pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) elevation (≥50 mmHg) at 30, 24, 33, 23, and 24 days after illness onset (d.a.o), respectively. Cases 1–3 received iNO treatment on the 24th, 13th, and 1st day after the first elevation of PASP, with concentrations varied from 10 to 20 ppm based on the changes of PASP and blood pressure for 10, 9, and 5 days, respectively. Upon iNO treatment, PASP of Cases 1 and 2 returned to normal on the 10th day and 1st day, and maintained between 50 and 58 mmHg in Case 3. Pa02/Fi02 increased from 88 to 124, 51 to 118, and 146 to 244, respectively. SPO2 increased from 91% to 97% for Case 1 and maintained a high level above 97% for Case 2. Cardiac function remained normal in the three patients after treatment. Moreover, Cases 1 and 3 survived from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, while Case 2 finally died on the 36th day after the first elevation of PASP due to severe complications. Both cases who did not receive iNO treatment experienced a sudden decrease of PASP and Pa02/Fi02 due to right heart failure and then died. Conclusions: Inhaled nitric oxide treatment was beneficial in reducing and stabilizing the PASP and might also reduce the risk of right heart failure in COVID-19 with pulmonary hypertension.