title: The need for inotropic drugs in anesthesiology and intensive care.
abstract: The management of the failing heart represents an increasingly frequent challenge to both anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians, due to the increased prevalence of ventricular dysfunction in the population and to the ever-expanding indications for the surgical treatment of cardiac disease. Inotropic drugs are nowadays invaluable therapeutic tools in the treatment of perioperative heart failure and of the different forms of heart failure found in intensive care unit clinical practice. Postoperative myocardial dysfunction is a major concern in the setting of cardiac surgery since it is extremely frequent and is related to a greater morbidity and mortality. The different forms of heart failure, the rationale and the indications for the use of inotropic drugs in anesthesiology and intensive care are discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care I, Servizio di Anestesia e Rianimazione I IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Piazzale Golgi, 2 27100 Pavia. gcvia@libero.it
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Via
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maggio
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braschi
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003422:Critical Care; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019990:Perioperative Care; D015995:Prevalence; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents