[Response to milrinone treatment in patients with chronic congestive heart failure]

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of milrinone in chronic congestive heart failure. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 30 patients with class III or IV chronic congestive heart failure were randomly assigned to receive milrinone (n = 15) or placebo (n = 15). The results showed that in the milrinone group, stroke volume increased from 38.50 +/- 5.34 to 64.93 +/- 6.46 ml (P < 0.001), cardiac output increased from 3.39 +/- 0.42 to 5.28 +/- 0.55 L/min (P < 0.001), cardiac index increased from 2.01 +/- 0.42 to 3.21 +/- 0.57/min/m2 (P < 0.001) and ejection fraction increased from 0.23 +/- 0.05 to 0.35 +/- 0.06(P < 0.001). In the placebo group, no hemodynamic effects were found. Milrinone favourably influenced the symptoms and heart function in 11/15(73.3%) patients. In the placebo group, only 4/15(26.7%) patients had such response (P < 0.05). These data indicate that milrinone is effective for improving the hemodynamics status and heart function in patients with chronic heart failure.