Successful treatment of dilative cardiomyopathy in a 12-year-old girl using the calcium sensitizer levosimendan after weaning from mechanical biventricular assist support

S m v e b s 2 c t UCCESSFUL WEANING from biventricular mechanical support with full recovery of myocardial function in chilren with acute myocarditis has been described before.1,2 Durng the period of weaning from the assist device, the pharmaologic treatment with inotropic agents is a clinical challenge. atecholamines and phosphodiesterase-III inhibitors are well stablished in the treatment of the acute low-output syndrome. here is only limited experience with new inotropic agents in ardiac anesthesia and cardiac surgery. Levosimendan is a new notrope that is being investigated in the therapy of severe heart ailure.3,4 The authors report a case in which a 12-year-old girl required mplantation of a biventricular assist device because of acute yocarditis. The decision to explant the mechanical support as made at a point in time when left ventricular function was till reduced because a device-related infection was considered o be very likely. During and after infusion of levosimendan, eft ventricular function, as measured by transthoracic echocariography (TTE), improved dramatically and the patient made full recovery.