The Effects of Nitric Oxide for Inhalation During Left Ventricular Assists Device (LVAD) Implantation

• The Number of Subjects With Left Ventricular Failure During Left Ventricular Assistance Device (LVAD) Placement After Cardio Pulmonary Bypass, as Determined by Failure Criteria, After Administration of Nitric Oxide. [ Time Frame: 28 days ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

  Failure criteria used to measure outcome includes:

  • Left ventricular flow rate index (LVFRI) ≤ 2.0 L/min/m^2
  • Administration of ≥ 20 inotropic equivalents (IE)
  • Mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≤ 55 mm Hg
  • Central venous pressure (CVP) ≥ 16 mm Hg
  • Percentage of mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) of ≤ 55% OR failure to wean from cardio pulmonary bypass (CPB) at least once due to hemodynamic failure or death.
  
  

40 ppm of either nitric oxide for inhalation or N2 (placebo) will be continuously administered to the patient starting at least 5 minutes prior to initiating the first weaning attempt from CPB and continue until the patient is either extubated, has reached failure criteria, or has been treated with study drug for 48 hours following discontinuation of CPB, whichever come first.

All patients will be monitored peri-operatively with a pulmonary arterial line, central venous line, and systemic arterial line. Baseline data collection by a designated clinical staff member will begin following induction of anesthesia and prior to skin incision. Following a successful wean from cardiopulmonary bypass, post-op data will be collected within 1 hour following end time of surgery. Data will then be collected at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 hours from post-op or until extubation, in which case weaning from study drug will begin.

Open label investigational nitric oxide for inhalation may be administered once a patient meets a minimum of two of the failure criteria or fails to wean at least once due to hemodynamic failure from cardiopulmonary bypass.