Inotropics

Inotropics

Inotropic drugs, such as cardiac glycosides and phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, increase the force of the heart’s contractions. In other words, the drugs have what’s known as a

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positive inotropic effect. (Inotropic means affecting the force or energy of muscular contractions.)

Cardiac glycosides also slow the heart rate (called a negative chronotropic effect) and slow electrical impulse conduction through the atrioventricular (AV) node (called a negative dromotropic effect).