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ABSTRACT: Background
Following the results of randomized controlled trials on levosimendan, French health authorities requested an update of the current use and side-effects of this medication on a national scale.Method
The France-LEVO registry was a prospective observational cohort study reflecting the indications, dosing regimens, and side-effects of levosimendan, as well as patient outcomes over a year.Results
The patients included (n = 602) represented 29.6% of the national yearly use of levosimendan in France. They were treated for cardiogenic shock (n = 250, 41.5%), decompensated heart failure (n = 127, 21.1%), cardiac surgery-related low cardiac output prophylaxis and/or treatment (n = 86, 14.3%), and weaning from veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 82, 13.6%). They received 0.18 ± 0.07 µg/kg/min levosimendan over 26 ± 8 h. An initial bolus was administered in 45 patients (7.5%), 103 (17.1%) received repeated infusions, and 461 (76.6%) received inotropes and or vasoactive agents concomitantly. Hypotension was reported in 218 patients (36.2%), atrial fibrillation in 85 (14.1%), and serious adverse events in 17 (2.8%). 136 patients (22.6%) died in hospital, and 26 (4.3%) during the 90-day follow-up.Conclusions
We observed that levosimendan was used in accordance with recent recommendations by French physicians. Hypotension and atrial fibrillation remained the most frequent side-effects, while serious adverse event potentially attributable to levosimendan were infrequent. The results suggest that this medication was safe and potentially associated with some benefit in the population studied.
SUBMITTER: Cholley B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10409690 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Cholley Bernard B Bojan Mirela M Guillon Benoit B Besnier Emmanuel E Mattei Mathieu M Levy Bruno B Ouattara Alexandre A Tafer Nadir N Delmas Clément C Tonon David D Rozec Bertrand B Fellahi Jean-Luc JL Lim Pascal P Labaste François F Roubille François F Caruba Thibaut T Mauriat Philippe P
Annals of intensive care 20230808 1
<h4>Background</h4>Following the results of randomized controlled trials on levosimendan, French health authorities requested an update of the current use and side-effects of this medication on a national scale.<h4>Method</h4>The France-LEVO registry was a prospective observational cohort study reflecting the indications, dosing regimens, and side-effects of levosimendan, as well as patient outcomes over a year.<h4>Results</h4>The patients included (n = 602) represented 29.6% of the national yea ...[more]