Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Dec 1996
Effect of bolus milrinone on hemodynamic variables and pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction: a rapid test for reversibility of pulmonary hypertension.
To examine the feasibility of using milrinone to test pulmonary vascular reactivity in patients before heart transplantation, we tested the hypothesis that milrinone would lower pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with severe heart failure. ⋯ Bolus milrinone consistently decreases PVR in patients with pulmonary hypertension secondary to severe heart failure. This effect is rapid in onset and well tolerated, even by patients with low systemic arterial pressure. An intravenous bolus of milrinone can be used to test for the reversibility of pulmonary hypertension in patients with heart failure undergoing evaluation for heart transplantation.