Haemodynamic effects of intravenous quinaprilat in comparison to sodium nitroprusside in patients with chronic heart failure

We compared the haemodynamic effects of intravenous boluses of the ACE inhibitor quinaprilat with an intravenous infusion of sodium nitroprusside in 23 patients with chronic heart failure (NYHA Class III or IV). At the highest drug doses, sodium nitroprusside significantly increased stroke volume index (+ 6.63 ml/m2, p = 0.045), whereas quinaprilat induced only a minor increase (+ 1.79 ml/m2, n.s.).