[Use of amrinone in refractory cardiac insufficiency: clinical and hemodynamic evaluation]

Amrinone is a nonadrenergic, nonglycosidic agent with combined positive inotropic and vasodilator properties. To determine its clinical and hemodynamic effects we treated 14 patients (12 men and 2 women ranging in age from 36 to 78 years, mean 56) with severe chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IIIa or IVa) not controlled by conventional therapy. Drug administration: 1 mg/Kg intravenous bolus followed by infusion of 10 mcg/Kg/min over 24 hours; in 11 patients, upon termination of long term infusion, oral therapy was begun (100 mg tid) for a period of four weeks. After bolus and during infusion dyspnea, pulmonary and jugular vein congestion, hepatomegaly rapidly improved, and increase of diuresis was noted. All patients responded with a substantial reduction in central venous pressure (CVP 9.64 +/- 5.96----4.79 +/- 5.66 mmHg, P less than 0.01), wedge pressure (WP 26.3 +/- 4.6----19.00 +/- 4.66 mmHg, P less than 0.01), pulmonary and systemic vascular resistances (PVR 212.07 +/- 121.08----127.64 +/- 50.37 dyne. sec. cm-5; SVR 1687 +/- 301----1297 +/- 357 dyne. sec. cm-5; P less than 0.01); these changes were accompanied by an increase of cardiac index (CI 1.96 +/- 0.38----2.84 +/- 0.83 L/Min/m2; P less than 0.01), stroke index (SI 23.43 +/- 5.85----31.64 +/- 8.86; P less than 0.01) and left ventricular stroke index (LVSWI 22.36 +/- 8.45----34.50 +/- 12.29 g.m/b/m2; P less than 0.01). These positive clinical and hemodynamic effects were not maintained in long term therapy. Moreover we observed adverse effects: fever, nausea and vomiting, thrombocytopenia, liver enzyme elevation, tachycardia and ventricular arrhythmias.

good efficacy and tolerability during short term intravenous therapy in emergency conditions; no clinical improvement and sometimes adverse effects in oral long term therapy.