Study objectives Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) blunts hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in
animal models, but its acute hemodynamic effects in patients with pulmonary arterial
hypertension (PAH) are not known. The aim of this study was to determine if human B-type
natriuretic peptide is a safe and efficacious pulmonary vasodilator in patients with PAH and if
the pulmonary hemodynamic effects are potentiated by phosphodiesterase inhibition.
Design Open-label study. Setting Medical ICUs of three tertiary care hospitals in New …