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Levosimendan in Cardiac Surgery: Evaluating the Evidence
Shaji A Faisal1, David A Apatov1, Harish Ramakrishna2
1Department of Anesthesiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
Levosimendan improves cardiac function without increasing oxygen demand. This review evaluates its use in cardiac surgery patients, considering recent large trials.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Levosimendan is an inodilator with calcium-sensitizing properties.
- Its role in cardiac surgery perioperative care requires further clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review levosimendan's properties.
- To evaluate existing literature on levosimendan's efficacy in cardiac surgery.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of physiological and pharmacologic data.
- Analysis of recent large-scale randomized controlled trials.
Main Results:
- Levosimendan's potential to enhance cardiac function without increasing myocardial oxygen demand.
- Emerging evidence from recent trials on its utility in cardiac surgical patients.
Conclusions:
- Levosimendan shows promise for improving outcomes in cardiac surgery.
- Further evaluation of its established role in this patient population is warranted.
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