The effect of flosequinan in patients with acute-onset heart failure complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract
We studied the hemodynamic effect of a single dose of the new directacting vasodilator, flosequinan, in 25 patients with severe acute-onset heart failure complicating acute myocardial infarction, which was resistant to high doses of diuretics, nitrates and dobutamine given intravenously. Flosequinan was added to conventional therapy within 3.7± 0.8 days of the infarction in the form of a single oral dose of 100mg. Hemodynamic monitoring was performed every hour for 4 hours after the administration, without any other drug being added. Flosequinan produced hemodynamic improvement in all patients. The effect peaked at 1 to 2 hours and remained at this level at 4 hours. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased from 28.4±4.5 to 17.8±5.7mmHg and cardiac output increased from 3.5±0.3 to 4.0±0.4L/min (p<0.05 for both). Pulmonary arterial and pulmonary vascular resistances were also significantly reduced. Heart rate was not significantly altered. Mean systemic arterial pressure was slightly but not significantly reduced. Administration of flosequinan was not associated with symptomatic hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias or other adverse events and the hemodynamic effect was not related to the pre-treatment serum sodium concentration. We conclude that flosequinan is effective in producing acute hemodynamic improvement in patients with heart failure complicating acute myocardial infarction which is resistant to conventional therapy. Flosequinan is well tolerated in this group of patients and therefore further studies to determine the duration of action of the drug in this condition are appropriate.

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