Milrinone

Milrinone Lactate Injection, USP is indicated for the short-term intravenous treatment of patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Patients receiving milrinone lactate should be observed closely with appropriate electrocardiographic equipment. The facility for immediate treatment of potential cardiac events, which may include life threatening ventricular arrhythmias, must be available. The majority of experience with intravenous milrinone has been in patients receiving digoxin and diuretics. There is no experience in controlled trials with infusions of milrinone for periods exceeding 48 hours.

A loading dose of Milrinone Lactate Injection ( 1mg [base]/mL ) should be administered followed by a continuous infusion (maintenance dose) according to the following guidelines: LOADING DOSE 50 mcg/kg: Administer slowly over 10 minutes The table below shows the loading dose in milliliters (mL) of milrinone (1mg/mL) by patient body weight (kg). Loading Dose (mL) Using 1 mg/mL Concentration Patient Body Weight (kg) kg 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 mL 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 The loading dose may be given undiluted, but diluting to a rounded total volume of 10 or 20 mL may simplify the visualization of the injection rate.

Milrinone Lactate Injection, USP is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to it.

Whether given orally or by continuous or intermittent intravenous infusion, milrinone has not been shown to be safe or effective in the longer (greater than 48 hours) treatment of patients with heart failure. In a multicenter trial of 1088 patients with Class III and IV heart failure, long-term oral treatment with milrinone was associated with no improvement in symptoms and an increased risk of hospitalization and death. In this study, patients with Class IV symptoms appeared to be at particular risk of life-threatening cardiovascular reactions. There is no evidence that milrinone given by long-term continuous or intermittent infusion does not carry a similar risk. The use of milrinone both intravenously and orally has been associated with increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias, including nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.

Cardiovascular Effects In patients receiving milrinone in Phase II and III clinical trials, ventricular arrhythmias were reported in 12.1%: Ventricular ectopic activity, 8.5%, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, 2.8%, sustained ventricular tachycardia, 1% and ventricular fibrillation, 0.2% (2 patients experienced more than one type of arrhythmia). Holter recordings demonstrated that in some patients injection of milrinone increased ventricular ectopy, including nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Life-threatening arrhythmias were infrequent and when present have been associated with certain underlying factors such as preexisting arrhythmias, metabolic abnormalities (e.g. hypokalemia), abnormal digoxin levels and catheter insertion. Milrinone was not shown to be arrhythmogenic in an electrophysiology study.

Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F). Avoid freezing.