A multicentre randomized-controlled trial of inhaled milrinone in high-risk cardiac surgical patients.

Purpose: Inhaled milrinone (iMil) has been used for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) but its efficacy, safety, and prophylactic effects in facilitating separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and preventing right ventricular (RV) dysfunction have not yet been evaluated in a clinical trial. The purpose of this study was to investigate if iMil administered before CPB would be superior to placebo in facilitating separation from CPB.

Methods: High-risk cardiac surgical patients with PH were randomized to receive iMil or placebo after the induction of anesthesia and before CPB.

A specific and sensitive HPLC-MS/MS micromethod for milrinone plasma levels determination after inhalation in cardiac patients.

Background: Milrinone administered through inhalation is an emerging method aimed at specifically reducing pulmonary hypertension without affecting systemic pressures. Its administration has been shown to be useful both in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. These populations are prone to receive many concomitant medications and/or blood sampling may require a low volume quantification method.

High-performance liquid chromatography assay using ultraviolet detection for urinary quantification of milrinone concentrations in cardiac surgery patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.

An analytical assay using liquid-liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection was developed for the quantification of total (conjugated and unconjugated) urinary concentrations of milrinone after the inhalation of a 5 mg dose in 15 cardiac patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. Urine samples (700 μL) were extracted with ethyl-acetate and subsequently underwent acid back-extraction before and after deconjugation by mild acid hydrolysis. Milrinone was separated on a strong cation exchange analytical column.

High performance liquid chromatography using UV detection for the quantification of milrinone in plasma: improved sensitivity for inhalation.

An improved analytical assay was developed and validated for the quantification of milrinone concentrations in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A solid-phase extraction was optimized to isolate milrinone from a plasma matrix followed by HPLC using UV detection. Plasma samples (1 ml) were extracted using a C(18) solid-phase cartridge.