Milrinone improves diastolic function in coronary artery bypass surgery as assessed by acoustic quantification and...

To compare the effects of a bolus dose of milrinone, 50 microg/kg, to placebo on diastolic function (active relaxation) in patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

University hospital.

Twenty-four patients with stable angina and left ventricular ejection fraction >30%, scheduled for elective CABG using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), were included.

Patients were randomized to receive either 50 microg/kg of milrinone (n = 12) or placebo (n = 12) after aortic declamping.

The diastolic function of the left ventricle (LV) was measured as peak filling rate (dA/dt [maximal diastolic area change over time]) with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) using acoustic quantification (AQ) before CPB and 10 minutes after termination of CPB. The normalized peak filling rate (dA/dt)/EDA was also calculated. Active relaxation was statistically significantly increased in the milrinone group compared with the placebo group after CPB.

Patients undergoing CABG surgery and treated with milrinone after aortic declamping had better diastolic function following cardiopulmonary bypass.