Inotropes

Inotropes

Glossary of scientific and technical terms in bioengineering and biological engineering

Published in Megh R. Goyal, Scientific and Technical Terms in Bioengineering and Biological Engineering, 2018

Inotropic agent is any of a class of agents affecting the force of muscle contraction, particularly a drug affecting the force of cardiac contraction; positive inotropic agents increase, and negative inotropic agents decrease the force of cardiac muscle contraction.

Overview of Impella and mechanical devices in cardiogenic shock

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Journal Information

Published in Expert Review of Medical Devices, 2018

Hymie Habib Chera, Menachem Nagar, Nai-Lun Chang, Carlos Morales-Mangual, George Dous, Jonathan D. Marmur, Muhammad Ihsan, Paul Madaj, Yitzhak Rosen

Theoretically, it has been found that inotropes can increase cardiac output and reduce filling pressure of cardiac chambers by improving hemodynamic parameters. But evidence-based research studies suggest that peripheral hypoperfusion occurs due to hypotension and renal dysfunction, even with the optimal dose of inotropic drugs. Furthermore, despite improving hemodynamic parameters, inotropes increase the oxygen demand in cardiac tissue, triggering arrhythmias, causing cellular damage, and necrosis. Hence, the inotropic drugs enhance the mortality risk in patients with acute heart-failure necessitating escalation of therapy such as MCS.

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Glossary of scientific and technical terms in bioengineering and biological engineering

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