Abstract
Amurinon, a drug currently in clinical use as an inotropic agent and vasodilator in patients with heart failure is a c-GMP-inhibited c-CMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor. We present the case of a patient who developed a severe cardiac failure and was successfully treated with Amurinon. A 67 year-old female was admitted with a status asthmaticus. After suffering for 12 hours from status asthmaticus, blood pressure dropped and atrial fibrillation tachycardia appeared. The diagnosis using ECG and echocardiogram was severe cardiac failure with acute myocardial infarction. Amurinon, 10 μg / kg/ min, was administered to the patient when she did not respond to the other catecholamines. Cardiac function recovered rapidly, although the status asthmaticus continued for a while. After recovery from asthma, cardiac function fully recovered. It was speculated that the patient had catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy and developed down-regulation of β-receptors. Amurinon attenuates airway constriction and increases myocardial contractility by a mechanism different from that of the other catecholamines. Therefore, we consider that Amurinon is quite effective and useful for such a patient as reported.
