Intensive care patients often require inotropic support to stabilise circulation and to optimise oxygen supply. In this context, the catecholamines norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and dobutamine are still the mainstay of therapy.

What does inotropic therapy do?

Inotropic therapy, also known as heart pump medication, stimulates an injured or weakened heart to pump harder. The primary purpose of this medication is to increase the force of the heart muscle’s contractions. Inotropic therapy may also speed up the heart’s rhythm.

When do you stop Inotropes?

Patients should not receive home inotropic therapy if they are not maximized on their oral medications, unable or unwilling to utilize an infusion pump and central line, unwilling to undergo appropriate monitoring, or have refractory ventricular tachycardia or life threatening arrhythmias (5).

Why are inotropes used in heart failure?

The positive inotropic action of milrinone is independent of β-receptor stimulation in the myocardial cells, which makes it different from dobutamine and dopamine. This mechanism of action makes use of milrinone preferable in advanced heart failure patients who are on β blockers as part of optimal medical therapy.

What’s inotropic effect?

An inotrope is an agent that alters the force or energy of muscular contractions. Negatively inotropic agents weaken the force of muscular contractions. Positively inotropic agents increase the strength of muscular contraction.

What is chronic inotropic therapy?

Chronic intravenous inotropic therapy represents a pharmacologic approach that has been advocated for palliative treatment. However, little is known about associated mortality and cost. Therefore, we sought to describe the impact of chronic infusions on resource use and survival.

What is the mechanism of action of inotropes?

The main mechanism of action for most inotropes involves increasing intracellular calcium, either by increasing influx to the cell during the action potential or increasing release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

What produces an inotropic effect?

Under certain conditions (e.g., exercise, stress and anxiety), high levels of circulating epinephrine augment sympathetic adrenergic effects. In the human heart, an abrupt increase in afterload can cause an increase in inotropy (Anrep effect).

What do we know about inotrope use in critically ill patients?

Inotrope use in critically ill patients is quite heterogeneous as self-reported by individual caregivers. Eleven strong recommendations on the indications, choice, triggers and targets for the use of inotropes are given by international experts.

Do inotropes improve co and organ perfusion in patients with circulatory shock?

Inotropes might improve CO and organ perfusion in patients with circulatory shock [ 8, 9 ]. Several guidelines for different types of circulatory shock give different recommendations for the use of inotropes [ 10, 11, 12, 13 ].

Should inotropic agents be used in patients with myocardial dysfunction?

Use of adjunctive vasopressor therapy is also evaluated, examining the potential value of individual agents. Lastly, inotropic agents are evaluated for use in patients with myocardial dysfunction. INTRODUCTION

Is there a standard of care for inotropic shock states?

To aid the design and interpretation of future studies on inotropes, it is imperative to evaluate current practice and therapeutic goals of inotropic treatment of shock states to establish what is considered standard of care.