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Review
. 2024 Jun 26;13(13):3735.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13133735.

Inotropic Agents: Are We Still in the Middle of Nowhere?

Anna Maria Iorio  1 , Fabiana Lucà  2 , Andrea Pozzi  3 , Carmelo Massimiliano Rao  2 , Stefania Angela Di Fusco  4 , Furio Colivicchi  4 , Massimo Grimaldi  5 , Fabrizio Oliva  6 , Michele Masssimo Gulizia  7
Affiliations
Review

Inotropic Agents: Are We Still in the Middle of Nowhere?

Anna Maria Iorio et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Inotropes are prescribed to enhance myocardial contractility while vasopressors serve to improve vascular tone. Although these medications remain a life-saving therapy in cardiovascular clinical scenarios with hemodynamic impairment, the paucity of evidence on these drugs makes the choice of the most appropriate vasoactive agent challenging. As such, deep knowledge of their pharmacological and hemodynamic effects becomes crucial to optimizing hemodynamic profile while reducing the potential adverse effects. Given this perspective, it is imperative for cardiologists to possess a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing these agents and to discern optimal strategies for their application across diverse clinical contexts. Thus, we briefly review these agents' pharmacological and hemodynamic properties and their reasonable clinical applications in cardiovascular settings. Critical interpretation of available data and the opportunities for future investigations are also highlighted.

Keywords: acute heart failure; adrenergic agents; inotropic agents; non-adrenergic agents; vasoactive drugs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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