Hemodynamic effect of outpatient levosimendan infusion assessed daily using the CardioMEMS™ invasive remote monitoring system

Introduction and Objectives

Levosimendan infusion in the outpatient setting improves the clinical status of heart failure (HF) patients, although its hemodynamic effects are not entirely known. Remote monitoring using the CardioMEMS™ system enables daily assessment of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and estimation of cardiac output (CO). We aimed to assess the hemodynamic effects of outpatient levosimendan infusion using CardioMEMS™.

Methods

All patients admitted for 6-hour levosimendan infusion (performed every 14 days) and using the CardioMEMS™ remote monitoring system were included in a prospective single-center registry. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Systolic, diastolic, and mean PAP, heart rate, CO, and stroke volume (SV) were assessed daily.

Results

A total of 25 sessions were performed in three patients. There were no adverse events or significant therapy adjustments. There was a significant reduction in diastolic PAP the day after levosimendan infusion compared to baseline (day prior to infusion) (24.1±4.1 mmHg vs. 21.6±2.9 mmHg, p=0.006). Thereafter, diastolic PAP stabilized and remained significantly lower than baseline up to day 10. There were no significant differences in systolic PAP, mean PAP, heart rate, CO, or SV at any timepoint analyzed, although there was a nonsignificant increase in CO with a peak at day 6.

Conclusion

Outpatient levosimendan infusion was associated with an early reduction in diastolic PAP, which was maintained for 10 days. The CardioMEMS™ system may enable a better understanding of outpatient hemodynamics in advanced HF. To our knowledge, there are no published data on this subject.