Levosimendan Improves Survival in Heart Failure Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Jan-Peter Braun, Dominik Jasulaitis, Maryam Moshirzadeh, Ulrich R Doepfmer, Marc Kastrup, Christian von Heymann, Pascal M Dohmen, Wolfgang Konertz, Claudia Spies
Primary Institution: Charité University Hospital, Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Germany
Hypothesis
Does levosimendan improve survival rates in patients requiring mechanical assist devices for post-cardiotomy heart failure?
Conclusion
Levosimendan seems to improve medium term survival in patients failing to wean off cardiopulmonary bypass and requiring cardiac assist devices as a bridge to recovery.
Supporting Evidence
- All patients treated with levosimendan could be weaned off the device.
- 8 out of 9 patients treated with levosimendan were discharged alive from ICU and hospital.
- 7 patients treated with levosimendan lived 180 days after surgery.
Takeaway
Levosimendan helps patients with heart failure recover better after surgery, making it easier for them to survive and leave the hospital.
Methodology
This was a retrospective analysis of 41 patients treated for post-cardiotomy heart failure, with 38 included in the final analysis.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to the retrospective nature of the study.
Limitations
The study is retrospective, which may introduce biases and limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Patients had an average age of 57 years in the levosimendan group and 68 years in the conventional treatment group.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.002
Statistical Significance
p<0.002
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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