OBJECTIVES: We assessed the effects of levosimendan on left ventricular (LV) function in patients with acute myocardial ischemia and after coronary angioplasty. BACKGROUND: The calcium sensitizer levosimendan improves the function of myocardium in experimental stunning. METHODS:Twenty-four patients with an acute coronary syndrome underwentangioplasty followed by double-blinded, randomized treatment with 24 microg/kg of levosimendan (n = 16) or placebo (n = 8). Left ventricular pressures and volumes were recorded by cineventriculography and micromanometer-tipped catheters 10 min after angioplasty before drug administration (baseline) and 20 min after drug administration. Left ventricular function was assessed by the pressure-volume loop, and regional function analysis by the Slager method. RESULTS: The number of hypokinetic segments decreased with levosimendan, from 8.9 +/- 0.9 to 6.5 +/- 1.1 (mean +/- SEM), as compared with an increase from 7.8 +/- 1.0 to 8.5 +/- 1.1 with placebo (p = 0.016). A leftward and/or upward shift of the systolic part of the pressure-volume loop, indicating improved systolic function, was observed in eight of 16 of the levosimendan-treated and one of eight of the placebo patients (p = 0.178). In addition, the single-beat elastance was increased by levosimendan (p = 0.045). The pressure-volume area (p = 0.001), end-systolic pressure (p = 0.002), and volume index (p < 0.001) were decreased by levosimendan, but there was no change in the end-systolic pressure-volume ratio. End-diastolic pressure remained unchanged, whereas the end-diastolic volume index was decreased by levosimendan (p = 0.002). The time constant of isovolumic LV pressure fall decreased with levosimendan (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Levosimendan improved the function of stunned myocardium without obvious impairment of diastolic function.
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OBJECTIVES: We assessed the effects of levosimendan on left ventricular (LV) function in patients with acute myocardial ischemia and after coronary angioplasty. BACKGROUND: The calcium sensitizer levosimendan improves the function of myocardium in experimental stunning. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with an acute coronary syndrome underwent angioplasty followed by double-blinded, randomized treatment with 24 microg/kg of levosimendan (n = 16) or placebo (n = 8). Left ventricular pressures and volumes were recorded by cineventriculography and micromanometer-tipped catheters 10 min after angioplasty before drug administration (baseline) and 20 min after drug administration. Left ventricular function was assessed by the pressure-volume loop, and regional function analysis by the Slager method. RESULTS: The number of hypokinetic segments decreased with levosimendan, from 8.9 +/- 0.9 to 6.5 +/- 1.1 (mean +/- SEM), as compared with an increase from 7.8 +/- 1.0 to 8.5 +/- 1.1 with placebo (p = 0.016). A leftward and/or upward shift of the systolic part of the pressure-volume loop, indicating improved systolic function, was observed in eight of 16 of the levosimendan-treated and one of eight of the placebo patients (p = 0.178). In addition, the single-beat elastance was increased by levosimendan (p = 0.045). The pressure-volume area (p = 0.001), end-systolic pressure (p = 0.002), and volume index (p < 0.001) were decreased by levosimendan, but there was no change in the end-systolic pressure-volume ratio. End-diastolic pressure remained unchanged, whereas the end-diastolic volume index was decreased by levosimendan (p = 0.002). The time constant of isovolumic LV pressure fall decreased with levosimendan (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Levosimendan improved the function of stunned myocardium without obvious impairment of diastolic function.
Authors: Alexandre Mebazaa; Antonis A Pitsis; Alain Rudiger; Wolfgang Toller; Dan Longrois; Sven-Erik Ricksten; Ilona Bobek; Stefan De Hert; Georg Wieselthaler; Uwe Schirmer; Ludwig K von Segesser; Michael Sander; Don Poldermans; Marco Ranucci; Peter C J Karpati; Patrick Wouters; Manfred Seeberger; Edith R Schmid; Walter Weder; Ferenc Follath Journal: Crit Care Date: 2010-04-28 Impact factor: 9.097