Amrinone improves right ventricular ejection fraction and oxygen delivery without deterioration of extravascular lung water in canine oleic acid pulmonary injury.

Fourteen mongrel dogs were anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated with oxygen. After oleic acid was administered intravenously, amrinone 1 mg/kg was intravenously administered to one group followed by a continuous infusion of 10 micrograms/kg/min for one hour (amrinone group, n = 7). Isovolumetric saline was administered to the control group (n = 7). Amrinone slightly lowered PaO2 but significantly increased oxygen delivery and improved gastric intramucosal pH (pHi) during the first 30 minutes (7.33 +/- 0.13) compared with the control group (7.21 +/- 0.06, P < 0.05). The pHi remained higher in the amrinone group (7.30 +/- 0.15) than in the control group (7.16 +/- 0.06, P < 0.05) after the drug was withdrawn. Extravascular lung water was significantly augmented after oleic acid injection and sustained in all animals for the remainder of the study.