A placebo-controlled trial verifying the efficacy of milrinone in weaning high-risk patients from cardiopulmonary bypass

Abstract

Objective: To establish the efficacy of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor milrinone in facilitating weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass of high-risk patients with left ventricular dysfunction and/or pulmonary hypertension. Design: A double-blinded, placebo-controlled longitudinal study. Setting: A university teaching hospital. Participants: Thirty-two patients with preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and/or mean pulmonary artery pressure ≤20 mmHg were studied after their written informed consent. Intervention: Patients were randomized to commence either intravenous milrinone, 50 μg/kg loading dose over 20 minutes followed by 0.5 μg/kg/min infusion, or matching placebo 15 minut..