Levosimendan significantly improved cardiac index (SMD 0.90) and left ventricular stroke work index compared to dobutamine at 24 hours in patients with sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction, but had no impact on mortality.
Meta-Analysis (n=192)
Does levosimendan improve cardiac function and reduce mortality compared to dobutamine in ICU patients with sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction?
In patients with sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction, levosimendan provides superior short-term improvements in cardiac function and blood lactate compared to dobutamine, though it does not significantly impact ICU mortality.
Standardized Mean Difference: 0.9 (95% CI 0.2–1.6)
p-value: p=<0.01
Abstract Levosimendan and dobutamine are extensively used to treat sepsis-associated cardiovascular failure in ICU. Nevertheless, the role and mechanism of levosimendan in patients with sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy remains unclear. Moreover, previous studies on whether levosimendan is superior to dobutamine are still controversial. More importantly, these studies did not take changes (before-after comparison to the baseline) in quantitative parameters such as ejection fraction into account with the baseline level. Here, we aimed to determine the pros and cons of the two medicines by assessing the changes in cardiac function and blood lactate, mortality, with the standardized mean difference used as a summary statistic. Relevant studies were obtained by a thorough and disciplined literature search in several notable academic databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase until November 2020. Outcomes included changes in cardiac function, lactic acid, mortality and length of hospital stay. A total of 6 randomized controlled trials were included in this study, including 192 patients. Compared with dobutamine, patients treated with levosimendan had a greater improvement of cardiac index (ΔCI) (random effects, SMD = 0.90 0.20,1.60; I 2 = 76%, P < 0.01) and left ventricular stroke work index (ΔLVSWI) (random effects, SMD = 1.56 0.90,2.21; I 2 = 65%, P = 0.04), a significant decrease of blood lactate (Δblood lactate) (random effects, MD = − 0.79 − 1.33, − 0.25; I 2 = 68%, P < 0.01) at 24-h after drug intervention, respectively. There was no significant difference between levosimendan and dobutamine on all-cause mortality in ICU (fixed effect, OR = 0.72 0.39,1.33; I 2 = 0%, P = 0.99). We combine effect sizes related to different measurement parameters to evaluate cardiac function, which implied that septic patients with myocardial dysfunction might have a better improvement of cardiac function by levosimendan than dobutamine (random effects, SMD = 1.05 0.69,1.41; I 2 = 67%, P < 0.01). This study suggested a significant improvement of CI, LVSWI, and decrease of blood lactate in septic patients with myocardial dysfunction in ICU after 24-h administration of levosimendan than dobutamine. However, the administration of levosimendan has neither an impact on mortality nor LVEF. Septic patients with myocardial dysfunction may partly benefit from levosimendan than dobutamine, mainly embodied in cardiac function improvement.
Liu et al. (Wed,) conducted a meta-analysis in Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction (n=192). Levosimendan vs. Dobutamine was evaluated on Change in cardiac index (ΔCI) at 24 hours (SMD 0.90, 95% CI 0.20, 1.60, p=<0.01). Levosimendan significantly improved cardiac index (SMD 0.90) and left ventricular stroke work index compared to dobutamine at 24 hours in patients with sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction, but had no impact on mortality.