Amrinone in the Treatment of Heart Failure: Comparison with Dopamine

The hemodynamic effects of a new inotropic agent amrinone (phoshodiesterase III. İnhibitor), is compared with the hemodynamic effects of dopamine. Eight patients with cardiac failure (NYHA class 3-4) were studied with oximetric Swan-Ganz catheters. Significant rises in mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and cardiacc index (CD) were obtained with dopamine. However, amrinone caused significant fall in PAP, PCWP and systemic vascular resistance (SVR), while it led to no significant differences in HR, MAP and PVR.