Chronic Palliative Inotropes in Subacute Rehab

The number of patients living with end-stage heart failure is steadily growing. Although originally intended to serve solely as a bridge to more definitive surgical therapies, there is an increasing number of patients receiving inotropic therapy (milrinone, dobutamine) for purely palliative purposes. Continuous infusion may increase quality of life and reduce symptom burden at the cost of increasing mortality.