Annina Jacky1, Alain Rudiger2, Bernard Krüger1, Markus J Wilhelm3, Sebastian Paal3, Burkhardt Seifert4, Donat R Spahn1, Dominique Bettex1. 1. Institute of Anaesthesiology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 2. Institute of Anaesthesiology, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: alain.rudiger@usz.ch. 3. Clinic for Cardiovascular Surgery, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 4. Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), Department of Biostatistics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Pharmacodynamics suggests that levosimendan might be a valuable inotrope for weaning from extracorporeal life support (ECLS). As there is a paucity of evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of such an approach, the aim was to report the authors' experiences in ECLS weaning before and after the implementation of levosimendan in clinical practice. DESIGN: Retrospective before-and-after study. SETTING: Cardiac intensive care unit of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 64 patients under ECLS for postcardiotomy cardiac failure, who underwent an ECLS weaning trial. INTERVENTION: Group comparisons between patients treated with levosimendan and patients treated with milrinone were made with the Mann-Whitney U test or the Pearson chi-squared test. Results are given as median (interquartile range) or numbers (percentages). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 64 patients, 26 (41%) received levosimendan. Successful ECLS weaning was achieved in 24 (92%) and 30 patients (79%) in the levosimendan and milrinone group, respectively (p = 0.18). In the levosimendan group, fewer patients had an intra-aortic balloon pump for weaning (2 [7.7%] v 15 [40%], p = 0.008). The support with norepinephrine was similar in the levosimendan and milrinone groups at the time of ECLS removal (0.06 [0.01-0.11] v 0.07 [0.01-0.16] µg/kg/min, p = 0.64) and 24 hours later (0.06 [0.04-0.09] v 0.04 [0.00-0.09] µg/kg/min, p = 0.15). Twenty-eight days (9/26 (35%) v 14/35 (40%), p = 0.28) and 180 days (13/26 [50%] v 15/34 [44%], p = 0.80) mortalities after ECLS removal were similar in the levosimendan and the milrinone groups. CONCLUSION: Levosimendan enabled ECLS weaning without increasing norepinephrine requirements when compared to a control group receiving milrinone.
OBJECTIVES: Pharmacodynamics suggests that levosimendan might be a valuable inotrope for weaning from extracorporeal life support (ECLS). As there is a paucity of evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of such an approach, the aim was to report the authors' experiences in ECLS weaning before and after the implementation of levosimendan in clinical practice. DESIGN: Retrospective before-and-after study. SETTING: Cardiac intensive care unit of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 64 patients under ECLS for postcardiotomy cardiac failure, who underwent an ECLS weaning trial. INTERVENTION: Group comparisons between patients treated with levosimendan and patients treated with milrinone were made with the Mann-Whitney U test or the Pearson chi-squared test. Results are given as median (interquartile range) or numbers (percentages). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 64 patients, 26 (41%) received levosimendan. Successful ECLS weaning was achieved in 24 (92%) and 30 patients (79%) in the levosimendan and milrinone group, respectively (p = 0.18). In the levosimendan group, fewer patients had an intra-aortic balloon pump for weaning (2 [7.7%] v 15 [40%], p = 0.008). The support with norepinephrine was similar in the levosimendan and milrinone groups at the time of ECLS removal (0.06 [0.01-0.11] v 0.07 [0.01-0.16] µg/kg/min, p = 0.64) and 24 hours later (0.06 [0.04-0.09] v 0.04 [0.00-0.09] µg/kg/min, p = 0.15). Twenty-eight days (9/26 (35%) v 14/35 (40%), p = 0.28) and 180 days (13/26 [50%] v 15/34 [44%], p = 0.80) mortalities after ECLS removal were similar in the levosimendan and the milrinone groups. CONCLUSION:Levosimendan enabled ECLS weaning without increasing norepinephrine requirements when compared to a control group receiving milrinone.
Authors: Zoltán Papp; Piergiuseppe Agostoni; Julian Alvarez; Dominique Bettex; Stefan Bouchez; Dulce Brito; Vladimir Černý; Josep Comin-Colet; Marisa G Crespo-Leiro; Juan F Delgado; István Édes; Alexander A Eremenko; Dimitrios Farmakis; Francesco Fedele; Cândida Fonseca; Sonja Fruhwald; Massimo Girardis; Fabio Guarracino; Veli-Pekka Harjola; Matthias Heringlake; Antoine Herpain; Leo M A Heunks; Tryggve Husebye; Višnja Ivancan; Kristjan Karason; Sundeep Kaul; Matti Kivikko; Janek Kubica; Josep Masip; Simon Matskeplishvili; Alexandre Mebazaa; Markku S Nieminen; Fabrizio Oliva; Julius G Papp; John Parissis; Alexander Parkhomenko; Pentti Põder; Gerhard Pölzl; Alexander Reinecke; Sven-Erik Ricksten; Hynek Riha; Alain Rudiger; Toni Sarapohja; Robert H G Schwinger; Wolfgang Toller; Luigi Tritapepe; Carsten Tschöpe; Gerhard Wikström; Dirk von Lewinski; Bojan Vrtovec; Piero Pollesello Journal: J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Date: 2020-07 Impact factor: 3.105
Authors: Zoltán Papp; Piergiuseppe Agostoni; Julian Alvarez; Dominique Bettex; Stefan Bouchez; Dulce Brito; Vladimir Černý; Josep Comin-Colet; Marisa G Crespo-Leiro; Juan F Delgado; Istvan Édes; Alexander A Eremenko; Dimitrios Farmakis; Francesco Fedele; Cândida Fonseca; Sonja Fruhwald; Massimo Girardis; Fabio Guarracino; Veli-Pekka Harjola; Matthias Heringlake; Antoine Herpain; Leo Ma Heunks; Tryggve Husebye; Višnja Ivancan; Kristjan Karason; Sundeep Kaul; Matti Kivikko; Janek Kubica; Josep Masip; Simon Matskeplishvili; Alexandre Mebazaa; Markku S Nieminen; Fabrizio Oliva; Julius-Gyula Papp; John Parissis; Alexander Parkhomenko; Pentti Põder; Gerhard Pölzl; Alexander Reinecke; Sven-Erik Ricksten; Hynek Riha; Alain Rudiger; Toni Sarapohja; Robert Hg Schwinger; Wolfgang Toller; Luigi Tritapepe; Carsten Tschöpe; Gerhard Wikström; Dirk von Lewinski; Bojan Vrtovec; Piero Pollesello Journal: Card Fail Rev Date: 2020-07-08
Authors: Shamir Vally; Cyril Ferdynus; Romain Persichini; Bruno Bouchet; Eric Braunberger; Hugo Lo Pinto; Olivier Martinet; David Vandroux; Thomas Aujoulat; Jérôme Allyn; Nicolas Allou Journal: Ann Intensive Care Date: 2019-02-01 Impact factor: 6.925
Authors: Julia Hermes-Laufer; Martin Meyer; Alain Rudiger; Julian Henze; Kai Enselmann; Hugo Kupferschmidt; Daniel Müller; Aline Herzog; Dominique Bettex; Dagmar I Keller; Bernard Krüger; Judith Engeler Journal: ESC Heart Fail Date: 2020-11-24