[Intravenous enoximone versus conventional treatment in acute lung edema. Preliminary results of a randomized study]

The aim of this open study was to compare the efficacy of Enoximone and conventional treatment in 44 patients with acute pulmonary edema. At the time of this interim analysis, 22 patients had received Enoximone (1 mg/kg by rapid intravenous injection every 8 hours for 48 hours) and 22 were given conventional treatment (furosemide, nitrates, dopamine-dobutamine). The treatment schedules were randomised. Clinical data was obtained at 0, 1, 2, 24 and 48 hours and evaluated using the Killip-Kimball score, dyspnoea, pulmonary rales, the need for additional therapy and patient mortality. The patients in the two groups were comparable in all clinical features except the sex ratio. The improvement of all clinical criteria of evaluation seemed to be greater in the Enoximone group, except during the first hour of treatment (due to the action of diuretics). The overall outcome was better in the Enoximone group (17 favourable responses compared to 11 in the group receiving conventional treatment). Normalisation of haemodynamic parameters was observed only with Enoximone. In addition, it became necessary to administer Enoximone to 9 patients in the conventional treatment group. At these doses, Enoximone was at least as effective as conventional treatment of acute pulmonary edema. What is more, no secondary effects or tachyphylaxis were observed during the period of hospital treatment.