European heart journal
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European heart journal · Sep 1991
Comparative StudyComparison between the positive inotropic effects of enoximone, a cardiac phosphodiesterase III inhibitor, and dobutamine in patients with moderate to severe congestive heart failure. A study using the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship method.
This study was designed to compare the positive inotropic properties of enoximone, a cardiac phosphodiesterase III inhibitor, with those of dobutamine in a population of moderate to severe congestive heart failure patients. The end-systolic pressure-volume relationship method was used. In addition, the haemodynamic effects of both drugs were compared. ⋯ At the therapeutic doses chosen, the difference between the inotropic effects of the two drugs was not significant (P = 0.07). Of the three patients available for comparison who did not manifest inotropic response with enoximone, two were also dobutamine 'non-responders': they differed from the 'responder' patients in two respects: they had undergone surgery for correction of valvular disease and had significantly higher pulmonary artery pressures. The haemodynamic measurements confirmed the vasodilatory properties of enoximone; in particular, the fall in ventricular filling pressures was much greater with enoximone than with dobutamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)