Table 1.
Effects of inotropic and vasoactive therapies currently used in clinical practice on outcomes in patients with advanced decompensated HF. Reproduced with permission from Nieminen et al.23
| Therapy | Haemodynamics |
Neurohormones | QoL-related parameters |
Survival | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiac index | Congestion/ PCWP | Dyspnoea | Rehospitalization rate | Depression | MLHFQ/ KCCQ | |||
| Dobutamine | ↑↑ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↑ | n.d. | n.d. | ↓ |
| Milrinone | ↑↑ | ↓↓ | — | ↓ | — | n.d. | n. | ↓ |
| Levosimendan | ↑↑ | ↓↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↑ |
| Nitroprusside | ↑ | ↓↓ | ↓ | ↓ | — | n.d. | n. | ↑ |
| Nesiritide | ↑ | ↓↓ | ↓ | ↓ | — | n.d. | n. | — |
QoL, quality of life; PCWP, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure; MLHFQ, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire; KCCQ, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; n.d., not determined; n., neutral.