Amrinone improves survival in hemorrhagic shock.

Amrinone is a noncatecholamine inotropic agent used clinically in the management of heart failure. The purpose of this study was to determine if intravenous (i.v.) infusion of amrinone has beneficial effects during resuscitation from experimental hemorrhagic shock. Effectiveness was defined as significantly improved survival rate. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and tissue oxygen tension (pO2) were measured to assess the physiologic effects of amrinone. Two separate randomized and blinded survival trials were conducted. In each trial, rats were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 10) or an experimental group (n = 10). All animals were bled 27 ml/kg over 2 minutes and maintained in shock for 45 minutes before resuscitation. Resuscitation in placebo (control) animals was with 54 ml/kg (2 times the hemorrhage volume) Lactated Ringer's solution over 1 hour, whereas resuscitation in drug-treated animals was with a 0.75 mg/kg bolus amrinone over 3 minutes followed by 54 ml/kg Lactated Ringer's solution and 5 ug/kg/min infusion over 1 hour. Results were that resuscitation with amrinone significantly increased MAP, tissue pO2, and survival over resuscitation with Lactated Ringer's alone (P < 0.05). In both trials, survival rates increased by more than 66 per cent in the amrinone groups.