Intermittent levosimendan treatment in patients with severe congestive heart failure

Levosimendan beyond inotropy and acute heart failure: Evidence of pleiotropic effects on the heart and other organs: An expert panel position paper

Levosimendan is a positive inotrope with vasodilating properties (inodilator) indicated for decompensated heart failure (HF) patients with low cardiac output. Accumulated evidence supports several pleiotropic effects of levosimendan beyond inotropy, the heart and decompensated HF. Those effects are not readily explained by cardiac function enhancement and seem to be related to additional properties of the drug such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic ones. Mechanistic and proof-of-concept studies are still required to clarify the underlying mechanisms involved, while properly designed clinical trials are warranted to translate preclinical or early-phase clinical data into more robust clinical evidence. The present position paper, derived by a panel of 35 experts in the field of cardiology, cardiac anesthesiology, intensive care medicine, cardiac physiology, and cardiovascular pharmacology from 22 European countries, compiles the existing evidence on the pleiotropic effects of levosimendan, identifies potential novel areas of clinical application and defines the corresponding gaps in evidence and the required research efforts to address those gaps.

Initial Observations of the Effects of Calcium Chloride Infusions in Pediatric Patients with Low Cardiac Output

Myocardial contractility and relaxation are highly dependent on calcium homeostasis. Immature myocardium, as in pediatric patients, is thought to be more dependent on extracellular calcium for optimal function. For this reason, intravenous calcium chloride infusions may improve myocardial function in the pediatric patient. The objectives of this study were to report the hemodynamic changes seen after administration of continuous calcium chloride to critically ill children. We retrospectively identified pediatric patients (newborn to 17 years old) with hemodynamic instability admitted to the cardiac ICU between May 2011 and May 2012 who received a continuous infusion of calcium chloride. The primary outcome was improvement in cardiac output, assessed by arterial-mixed venous oxygen saturation (A-V) difference. Sixty-eight patients, mean age 0.87 ± 2.67 years, received a total of 116 calcium infusions. Calcium chloride infusions resulted in significant improvements in primary and secondary measures of cardiac output at 2 and 6 h. Six hours after calcium initiation, A-V oxygen saturation difference decreased by 7.4 % (32.6 ± 2.1 to 25.2 ± 2.0 %, p < 0.001), rSO2 increased by 5.5 % (63.1 vs 68.6 %, p < 0.001), and serum lactate decreased by 0.9 mmol/l (3.3 vs 2.4 mmol/l, p < 0.001) with no change in HR (149.1 vs 145.6 bpm p = 0.07). Urine output increased 0.66 ml/kg/h in the 8-h period after calcium initiation when compared to pre-initiation (p = 0.003). Neonates had the strongest evidence of effectiveness with other age groups trending toward significance. Calcium chloride infusions improve markers of cardiac output in a heterogenous group of pediatric patients in a cardiac ICU. Neonates appear to derive the most benefit from utilization of these infusions.

Fluid Management in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Congestion, or fluid overload, is a classic clinical feature of patients presenting with heart failure patients, and its presence is associated with adverse outcome. However, congestion is not always clinically evident, and more objective measures of congestion than simple clinical examination may be helpful. Although diuretics are the mainstay of treatment for congestion, no randomised trials have shown the effects of diuretics on mortality in chronic heart failure patients. Furthermore, appropriate titration of diuretics in this population is unclear. Research is required to determine whether a robust method of detecting - and then treating - subclinical congestion improves outcomes.

A single German center experience with intermittent inotropes for patients on the high-urgent heart transplant waiting list

AIM

Currently, more than 900 patients with end-stage heart failure are listed for heart transplantation in Germany. All patients on the Eurotransplant high-urgent status (HU) have to be treated in intensive care units and have to be relisted every 8 weeks. Long-term continuous inotropes are associated with tachyphylaxia, arrhythmias and even increased mortality. In this retrospective analysis, we report our single center experience with HU patients treated with intermittent inotropes as a bridging therapy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

117 consecutive adult HU candidates were treated at our intensive care heart failure unit between 2008 and 2013, of whom 14 patients (12 %) were stabilized and delisted during follow-up. In the remaining 103 patients (age 42 ± 15 years), different inotropes (dobutamine, milrinone, adrenaline, noradrenaline, levosimendan) were administered based on the patient's specific characteristics. After initial recompensation, patients were weaned from inotropes as soon as possible. Thereafter, intermittent inotropes (over 3-4 days) were given as a predefined weekly (until 2011) or 8 weekly regimen (from 2011 to 2013). In 57 % of these patients, additional regimen-independent inotropic support was necessary due to hemodynamic instabilities. Fourteen patients (14 %) needed a left- or biventricular assist device; 14 patients (14 %) died while waiting and 87 (84 %) received heart transplants after 87 ± 91 days. Cumulative 3 and 12 months survival of all 103 patients was 75 and 67 %, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Intermittent inotropes in HU patients are an adequate strategy as a bridge to transplant; the necessity for assist devices was low. These data provide the basis for a prospective multicenter trial of intermittent inotropes in patients on the HU waiting list.

Levosimendan: The current situation and new prospects

Levosimendan is a pyridazinone-dinitrile derivative with positive inotropic and vasodilatory effects that has beneficial effects on myocardial performance. In previous randomized studies levosimendan improved hemodynamics and clinical course, but its effect on prognosis is still unclear. This important issue has limited its use. Although primarily used in the management of acute heart failure syndromes, this new inotropic agent may play a role in other clinical conditions. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on levosimendan and to present future prospects for the use of this drug.

Intermittent levosimendan improves mid-term survival in chronic heart failure patients: meta-analysis of randomised trials

AIMS

Standard inotropic treatment is often necessary in end-stage heart failure but may be harmful. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to investigate the effect of repeated administration of levosimendan on survival in patients with chronic heart failure.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Four investigators independently searched in CENTRAL, Google Scholar MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of clinical trials to identify any randomized study ever performed with intermittent levosimendan intravenous administration in adult patients with chronic heart failure with no restrictions on dose or time of administration. Data from a total of 326 patients from six randomized controlled studies using intermittent levosimendan in a cardiological setting were included in the analysis. Levosimendan was associated with a significant reduction in mortality at the longest follow-up available [32 of 168 (19 %) in the levosimendan group 46 of 133 (35 %) in the control arm, RR = 0.55 (95 % CI 0.37-0.84), p for effect = 0 0.005, p for heterogeneity = 0.3, I (2) = 23.4 %, NNT = 6 with 5 studies included]. Brain natriuretic peptide values, ejection fraction and number of patients with New York Heart Association ≥ III status were similar in survivors of both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

A large randomized trial is necessary to confirm the promising beneficial effects of intermittent levosimendan administration on the mid-term survival of patients with chronic heart failure.