Heart Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Heart Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Levosimendan reversing low output syndrome after heart transplantation.

Petäjä LM, Sipponen JT, Hämmäinen PJ, Eriksson HI, Salmenperä MT, Suojaranta-Ylinen RT

Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. liisa.petaja@hus.fi

After heart transplantation primary graft failure is a major cause of early mortality. Treatment options include inotropes and mechanical assist devices. Developing better methods would impact on patients' short- and long-term survival. We present a case of primary graft failure manifested as cardiogenic shock unresponsive to catecholamines and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. Reversal of low output syndrome was achieved with a new type of inotropic agent, levosimendan, leading to the later complete recovery.

Published 25 September 2006 in Ann Thorac Surg, 82(4): 1529-31.
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