How Do Inotropic Agents Work?

Inotropic agents, or inotropes, are a class of drugs used to treat various heart diseases. Basically, inotropes change the force of your heart contraction. There are two kinds of inotropes:

• Positive inotrope: strengthen the force of the heartbeat
• Negative inotrope: weaken the force of the heartbeat

Inotropic agents are drugs that affect the force of contraction of the heart muscles. As a result, the cardiac output in terms of blood flow is affected. They may either strengthen the force of the heart rate to pump out more blood or weaken to reduce the amount of the blood being pumped. Different drugs exert these actions through different mechanisms

Inotropic agents are given orally or administered via the intravenous route to treat various heart diseases such as:

• Atrial fibrillation (an irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow)
• Congestive heart failure
• Cardiac decompensation
• Hypotension
• Low cardiac output

Some of the side effects of inotropic agents include:

• Headache
• Angina/chest pain
• Rash
• Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
• Tremor
• Abnormal liver tests
• Injection-site reaction
• Irregular heart rate
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Anorexia
• Fever
• Abdominal pain

The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible side effects, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure these drugs do not cause any harm when you take them along with other medicines. Never stop taking your medication and never change your dose or frequency without consulting your doctor.

Drug names include:

• Amrinone
• Digoxin
• Dobutamine
• Dopamine
• Inamrinone
• Intropin
• Lanoxin
• Milrinone