Safety Study of Nebulized Sodium Nitroprusside in Adult Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a syndrome characterized by acute hypoxemic respiratory failure with bilateral pulmonary infiltrates that are not attributed to left atrial hypertension. ALI is responsible for significant mortality and morbidity in the critically ill population. Novel rescue therapies used to support oxygenation in severe ALI include inhaled nitric oxide and high frequency oscillatory ventilation; however, neither have been shown to reduce mortality and both are limited by logistical and financial challenges. Inhaled sodium nitroprusside (iSNP) is a vasodilator which causes local vasodilation of pulmonary capillaries surrounding functional alveoli, resulting in improved oxygenation by redistributing pulmonary blood flow to areas with better ventilation-perfusion ratios. As iSNP can be administered by a low-cost nebulizer and is relatively inexpensive compared to other novel rescue therapies, this modality may be an alternative therapy for patients with severe hypoxemia. Two pediatric studies support the use of iSNP in ALI; however, iSNP has not been studied in the adult ALI population. To determine whether iSNP can improve oxygenation in adult ALI, the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) must first be determined. Our study aims to determine the MTD of iSNP in adult ALI through an open-label, non-randomized, single centered, dose escalation study design, whereby subjects will receive iSNP for thirty minutes and have various physiologic variables recorded.