[Hemodynamic effects of levosimendan compared with dobutamine in patients with low cardiac output after cardiac surgery].

Introduction And Objectives: Levosimendan is an inotropic agent that is effective in the treatment of heart failure. However, experience with levosimendan in patients with reduced cardiac output following cardiopulmonary bypass is limited. The objective of this study was to compare the short-term hemodynamic effects of levosimendan with those of dobutamine in managing low cardiac output after cardiac surgery.

[Hemodynamic effects of levosimendan following cardiac surgery].

The hemodynamic effect of levosimendan was compared to that of dobutamine in a trial enrolling 30 adults undergoing scheduled cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Fifteen patients were randomly assigned to receive levosimendan in a single dose of 18 microg x kg(-1) followed in 15 to 20 minutes by start of infusion at a rate of 0.2 microg x kg(-1) min(-1) for 24 hours (levosimendan group).