Levosimendan use in critical care - a case series

Abstract

Levosimendan is a calcium sensitiser that enhances myocardial contractility without increasing myocardial oxygen consumption or adversely affecting diastolic function. Whilst theoretically attractive, lack of outcome data in critically ill patients means that it is not yet established in intensive care practice. We have been using levosimendan on our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for more than 6 years and the data presented here represents one of the largest case series on the use of levosimendan in this setting.