Milrinone improves lung compliance in patients receiving mechanical ventilation for cardiogenic pulmonary edema

Background: Cardiogenic pulmonary edema is a frequent cause of respiratory failure. We investigated whether milrinone improved lung compliance. Methods: We selected 10 patients with respiratory failure due to severe cardiogenic pulmonary edema to receive mechanical ventilation. Patients were administered a bolus injection of milrinone (50 µg kg−1) over 10 min, followed by continuous intravenous infusion (0.5 µg kg−1 min−1). Lung compliance, blood gas values, hemodynamic parameters, and sample plasma milrinone levels were assessed over 120 min after the onset of the continuous infusion of milrinone. Results: Ten min following milrinone infusion, dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and static compliance (Cst) increased from 37 ± 12 to 42 ± 12 ml cmH2O−1 and from 40 ± 13 to 45 ± 12 ml cmH2O−1, respectively (P