Short-term Intravenous Milrinone for Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Heart FailureA Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Chronic heart failure is one of the most common and life-threatening cardiovascular conditions, affecting nearly 5 million people in the United States.¹ It causes more than 200 000 deaths each year^2-4 and is the leading discharge diagnosis among the Medicare population.^5,6 Treatment costs for chronic heart failure, most of which are incurred by inpatients, are more than $30 billion yearly.⁷ Almost half of the patients with advanced disease will die within 1 year.⁸ Hospitalization is common in these patients and is associated with a poor prognosis.⁹ From 3 to 6 months after discharge, readmission rates for chronic heart failure range from 30% to 50%.^10-12