Cardiotonic-
inotropicBBdrugsBareBparticularlyBusefulBforBpatientsBwithBheartBfailureB(HF),BwhereinBt
heBheartBisBnotBableBtoBeffectivelyBpumpBtheBbloodBtowardsBdifferentBbodyBorgans.BA
sBaBresult,BcellsBofBtheBbodyBareBdeprivedBofBoxygenBandBnutrients.BCardiotonicBagent
sBareBdrugsBusedBtoBincreaseBtheBcontractilityBofBtheBheart.BIncludedBbelowBisBaBBpha
rmacologyBguideBforBBnursesBonBtheBvariousBeffectsBofBcardiotonic-inotropicBagents.B
Drugs&BMedications
GenericBandBBrandBNames
HereBisBaBtableBofBcommonlyBencounteredBcardiotonic-
inotropicBdrugs,BtheirBgenericBnames,BandBbrandBnames:
• CardiacBGlycosides
• deslanosideB(Cedilanid-D)
• digitoxinB(Crystodigin)
• digoxinB(Lanoxin,BLanoxicaps)
• PhosphodiesteraseBInhibitors
, • amrinone,BinamironeB(Inocor)
• cilostazolB(Pletal)
• milrinoneB(Primacor)
• enoximoneB(Perfan)
DiseaseBSpotlight:BHeartBFailureB(HF)
HeartBfailureBisBaBsyndromeBcharacterizedBbyBdysfunctionBofBcardiacBmuscles.B
Anatomy
• ItBcanBoccurBinBaBnumberBofBheartBconditionsBwhichBcanBoverworkBtheBheartB
muscles.BSomeBofBtheseBconditionsBinclude:
• CoronaryBarteryBdiseaseB(CAD),BwhichBleadsBtoBinsufficientBbloodBsupplyBforBth
eBmyocardiumBandBisBalsoBtheBmostBcommonBcauseBofBHF;
• Cardiomyopathy,BwhichBleadsBtoBenlargementBofBtheBheartBandBmyocardialBfati
gue;Band
• ValvularBheartBdiseases,BwhichBcanBcauseBrefluxBandBoverloadingBofBbloodBtoBt
heBventriclesBwhichBconsequentlyBoverBstretchesBtheBmyocardium.
• ClinicalBmanifestationsBdependBonBtheBsideBofBtheBheartBwhichBfailed:
Left-sidedBHF
• PrimarilyBreflectsBpulmonaryBmanifestationsBbecauseBtheBleftBventricleBcannotBp
ushBbloodBtowardsBtheBperipheralBsystems.
• AsBaBresult,BthereBisBengorgementBofBpulmonaryBveins,BwhichBleadsBtoBdifficult
yBofBbreathing.
• OtherBmanifestationsBinclude:BtachypneaB(rapidBbreathing),BdyspneaB(discomfort
BassociatedBwithBbreathing),BandBorthopneaB(increasedBdifficultyBofBbreathingB
whenBlyingBdown).BPatientBalsoBexperiencesBcoughingBandBhemoptysisB(coughin
gBupBofBblood).BInBsevereBcases,BpulmonaryBedemaB(fillingBupBofBfluidBinBtheBl
ungBspaces)BoccursBwhichBisBlife-
threateningBbecauseBitBinterferesBwithBgasBexchange.
Right-sidedBheartBfailure
• OccursBwhenBtheBrightBsideBofBtheBheartBhasBtheBneedBtoBexertBmoreBforceBin
BorderBtoBpushBbloodBtowardsBtheBpulmonaryBcirculation.
inotropicBBdrugsBareBparticularlyBusefulBforBpatientsBwithBheartBfailureB(HF),BwhereinBt
heBheartBisBnotBableBtoBeffectivelyBpumpBtheBbloodBtowardsBdifferentBbodyBorgans.BA
sBaBresult,BcellsBofBtheBbodyBareBdeprivedBofBoxygenBandBnutrients.BCardiotonicBagent
sBareBdrugsBusedBtoBincreaseBtheBcontractilityBofBtheBheart.BIncludedBbelowBisBaBBpha
rmacologyBguideBforBBnursesBonBtheBvariousBeffectsBofBcardiotonic-inotropicBagents.B
Drugs&BMedications
GenericBandBBrandBNames
HereBisBaBtableBofBcommonlyBencounteredBcardiotonic-
inotropicBdrugs,BtheirBgenericBnames,BandBbrandBnames:
• CardiacBGlycosides
• deslanosideB(Cedilanid-D)
• digitoxinB(Crystodigin)
• digoxinB(Lanoxin,BLanoxicaps)
• PhosphodiesteraseBInhibitors
, • amrinone,BinamironeB(Inocor)
• cilostazolB(Pletal)
• milrinoneB(Primacor)
• enoximoneB(Perfan)
DiseaseBSpotlight:BHeartBFailureB(HF)
HeartBfailureBisBaBsyndromeBcharacterizedBbyBdysfunctionBofBcardiacBmuscles.B
Anatomy
• ItBcanBoccurBinBaBnumberBofBheartBconditionsBwhichBcanBoverworkBtheBheartB
muscles.BSomeBofBtheseBconditionsBinclude:
• CoronaryBarteryBdiseaseB(CAD),BwhichBleadsBtoBinsufficientBbloodBsupplyBforBth
eBmyocardiumBandBisBalsoBtheBmostBcommonBcauseBofBHF;
• Cardiomyopathy,BwhichBleadsBtoBenlargementBofBtheBheartBandBmyocardialBfati
gue;Band
• ValvularBheartBdiseases,BwhichBcanBcauseBrefluxBandBoverloadingBofBbloodBtoBt
heBventriclesBwhichBconsequentlyBoverBstretchesBtheBmyocardium.
• ClinicalBmanifestationsBdependBonBtheBsideBofBtheBheartBwhichBfailed:
Left-sidedBHF
• PrimarilyBreflectsBpulmonaryBmanifestationsBbecauseBtheBleftBventricleBcannotBp
ushBbloodBtowardsBtheBperipheralBsystems.
• AsBaBresult,BthereBisBengorgementBofBpulmonaryBveins,BwhichBleadsBtoBdifficult
yBofBbreathing.
• OtherBmanifestationsBinclude:BtachypneaB(rapidBbreathing),BdyspneaB(discomfort
BassociatedBwithBbreathing),BandBorthopneaB(increasedBdifficultyBofBbreathingB
whenBlyingBdown).BPatientBalsoBexperiencesBcoughingBandBhemoptysisB(coughin
gBupBofBblood).BInBsevereBcases,BpulmonaryBedemaB(fillingBupBofBfluidBinBtheBl
ungBspaces)BoccursBwhichBisBlife-
threateningBbecauseBitBinterferesBwithBgasBexchange.
Right-sidedBheartBfailure
• OccursBwhenBtheBrightBsideBofBtheBheartBhasBtheBneedBtoBexertBmoreBforceBin
BorderBtoBpushBbloodBtowardsBtheBpulmonaryBcirculation.
