Inotropic therapy is an infusion of medication that changes your heart’s calcium level, which helps make your heart muscle contract. The therapy can be used to slow your heart rate for better control of arrhythmias, or it can trigger stronger muscle contractions to relieve symptoms from conditions such as heart failure.
Our Advanced Heart Failure Program is one of the select programs that uses inotropic therapy as an in-home management for patients with end-stage heart failure. We also integrate our treatment with palliative care services to provide you with personalized pain management during treatment.
What to expect during inotropic therapy
Your doctor will provide you with any diet changes and exercise recommendations before you begin the therapy. When you start the therapy, you’ll be admitted to the hospital for observation. The medication will be delivered through an IV in your arm or hand. An infusion pump will provide the correct dosage at specific times.
When you return home, you will be monitored by a home health nurse, who will watch for symptoms and work with you to make dosage adjustments as needed.
Stop the infusion and call your doctor right away if you experience side effects such as:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Pain near the IV
- Fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit
- Pump malfunction
Conditions
Advanced heart failure is a form of heart failure that has progressed to the most serious stage.
Cardiomyopathy is a disease that weakens or changes the structure of your heart muscle, which makes it difficult for your heart to fill with and pump blood.
Heart failure occurs when your heart doesn’t fill with enough blood or doesn’t pump enough blood throughout your body.
Tests
Cardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive way to diagnose and treat a variety of heart and vascular conditions by guiding thin, flexible tubes called catheters through blood vessels to problem areas.
Chest X-ray
Chest X-rays use a small dose of radiation to create pictures of the structures inside the chest, including the lungs, heart, and chest wall.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
An electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG, measures the heart’s electrical activity.
Our providers
Location: Change location Enter your location
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Muhammad Bilal Asghar, MBBS MD
Hospital Medicine
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Martha Ann Baker, MD
Hospital Medicine
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Stephanie B Bellini Richardson, MSN NP
Cardiology
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David Andrew Berry, MPAS PA
Hospital Medicine
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Erin Elizabeth Duquette-Quandt, MD
Hospital Medicine
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Ernest Alexander Fischer, MD
Hospital Medicine
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Stephen Charles Fox, MD
Hospital Medicine
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Zerihun Wolde Gebremichael, MD MS
Hospital Medicine
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Amy Heung, MPAS PA
Hospital Medicine
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Pramod Reddy Kayathi, MD
Hospital Medicine
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Maryam Khavandi, MD
Hospital Medicine
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Stacy Rebecca Kruse, MD
Internal Medicine & Hospital Medicine
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Qiyuan Liu, MD
Hospital Medicine
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Wesley Corliss Lyons, MPAS PA
Cardiology
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Pranav Shah, MD
Internal Medicine & Hospital Medicine
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Weining David Xu, MD
Cardiology & Advanced Heart Failure And Transplant Cardiology
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Our locations
Distance from Change locationEnter your location
MedStar Health: Advanced Heart Failure Program at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
9105 Franklin Square Drive Suite 209 Baltimore, MD 21237
410-554-6534
MedStar Health: Advanced Heart Failure at MedStar Washington Hospital Center - Main Hospital
110 Irving Street, NW First Floor, North Addition Washington, DC 20010
202-877-3503
MedStar Health: Advanced Heart Failure Program at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
7503 Surratts Road Suite 304 Clinton, MD 20735
301-877-4469
MedStar Health: Advanced Heart Failure Program at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital - Calvert Street Building
3300 North Calvert Street Calvert Street Building Second Floor, Suite B Baltimore, MD 21218
410-554-6534
Related services
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.