Comparison of intravenous milrinone and dobutamine for congestive heart failure secondary to either ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy
Biddle, T.L.; Benotti, J.R.; Creager, M.A.; Faxon, D.P.; Firth, B.G.; Fitzpatrick, P.G.; Konstam, M.A.; Krebs, C.; Walton, L.; Kershner, R.P.
American Journal of Cardiology 59(15): 1345-1350
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9149
PMID: 3591689
DOI: 10.1016/0002-9149(87)90917-9
Accession: 005009069
Milrinone and dobutamine are positive inotropic agents with beneficial hemodynamic effects in patients with congestive heart failure. This study has undertaken to compare the effects of intravenous milrinone and dobutamine in patients with stable New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure and to test the hypothesis that intravenous milrinone is at least as beneficial as dobutamine in this setting. Seventy-nine patients were randomized to either dobutamine therapy at incremental doses of 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 .mu.g/kg/min, or milrinone as a bolus of 50 or 75 .mu.g/kg followed by an infusion of 0.5 to 1.0 .mu.g/kg/min. Both agents significantly increased heart rate, cardiac index and stroke volume index and decreased pulmonary artery wedge pressure and systemic vascular resistance compared with baseline levels (p < 0.01). During sustained infusion for 48 hours, no difference in hemodynamic effects was observed between the 2 drugs. Ventricular tachycardia occurred in 5 patients (3 taking milrinone, 2 taking dobutamine); 1 patient taking milrinone had ventricular fibrillation. Milrinone and dobutamine elicited similar beneficial hemodynamic results with relatively few adverse effects.