Effect of combined nitroglycerin and dobutamine infusion in left ventricular dysfunction.
The immediate therapy of severe left ventricular (LV) failure after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) frequently requires simultaneous preload reduction, pump output augmentation, and maintenance of systemic blood pressure. Therefore the effects of intravenous nitroglycerin (NG) and dobutamine (DB) were evaluated in 12 patients with severe LV failure following AMI. Nitroglycerin achieved salutary lowering of abnormally elevated LV filling pressure (23 to 14 mm Hg, p less than 0.001) while DB markedly augmented LV pump function (cardiac index rose from 1.7 to 2.5 L/min/m2, p less than 0.005). Notably, the combined infusion of NG + DB simultaneously decreased preload (LV filling pressure 23 to 14 mm Hg, p less than 0.001) and markedly enhanced LV pump performance (cardiac index increased from 1.7 to 2.4 L/min/m2, p less than 0.001). Minor decline in mean systemic blood pressure with NG (72 to 66 mm Hg, p less than 0.05) was rapidly reversed by DB addition (69 mm Hg, p greater than 0.05). Both agents were well tolerated without clinical or ECG evidence of myocardial ischemia or dysrhythmias. Thus the principally venodilator effects of NG minimize systemic hypotension while salutary augmentation of cardiac function in AMI with LV failure is achieved by NG + DB.
D002395:Catecholamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D002395:Catecholamines; D004280:Dobutamine; D005996:Nitroglycerin