Prophylactic treatment with levosimendan: a retrospective matched-control study of patients with reduced left...

Levosimendan is a calcium-sensitising inotropic agent and a vasodilator used in the treatment of heart failure. Post-cardiotomy cardiac failure is more common in patients with a low preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We aim at investigating how prophylactic treatment with levosimendan before weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) affects postoperative haemodynamics and outcome in patients with low preoperative LVEF.

Patients with a preoperative LVEF < or =30% treated with levosimendan before weaning from CPB were included in the study. Each patient was matched to a control patient with respect to the following criteria: surgical procedure, EuroSCORE, age, gender and the use of intra-aortic balloon pump. We investigated postoperative haemodynamics in the intensive care unit (ICU) at time points: 1, arrival; 2, approximately 7h after arrival; and 3, the first postoperative morning. In addition, mortality was evaluated.

Thirty patients treated with levosimendan and 30 matched controls were enrolled in the study. No statistically significant differences in cardiac index (CI) (l min(-1)m(-2)), stroke volume index (SVI) (mlm(-2)), mixed venous O(2)-saturation (SvO(2)) (%) or heart rate (HR) (beats per minute) between the two groups measured at the three time points 1-3 were registered. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) (mmHg) was lower in the levosimendan group both at time points 2 (68, range: 65-71 vs 75, range: 72-78; p=0.009) and 3 (72, range: 69-74 vs 78, range: 74-82; p=0.01), despite a higher dose of norepinephrine in the treatment group (p=0.021). A significantly higher number of control patients were treated with classic adrenergic inotropes both in the operating room (p=0.013) and in the ICU (p<0.001). Thirty days mortality was the same in both groups (7%).

Prophylactic infusion of levosimendan initiated before weaning from CPB did not lead to superior haemodynamic parameters (CI, SVI, SvO(2)) compared to controls. Levosimendan reduced MAP and increased the need for norepinephrine postoperatively.