Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Apr 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialLevosimendan compared with dobutamine in low output patients.
There are 2 studies which have investigated the hemodynamic efficacy of levosimendan compared to dobutamine in congestive heart failure patients. The first is a dose finding comparative 24-h infusion trial which included 95 NYHA II-III patients to different doses of levosimendan and 20 patients to dobutamine administered as a continuous, open-label infusion of 6 microg/kg/min. Efficacy and safety of levosimendan in severe low-output heart failure a randomized, double-blind comparison to dobutamine study compared the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of a single 24-hour infusion of levosimendan (n=103) with dobutamine (n=100) in hospitalised patients in acute heart failure. ⋯ Levosimendan significantly increased the number of days alive and out of hospital, compared with dobutamine. It was better tolerated than dobutamine and fewer patients receiving levosimendan experienced arrhythmias and myocardial ischaemia, compared with dobutamine. Levosimendan produced haemodynamic responses that were unaffected by concomitant use of beta blockers.