Experimental evidence for a severe proarrhythmic potential of levosimendan

In the present study, acute infusion of levosimendan resulted in an abbreviation of ventricular repolarization and a reduction of ERP. This led to a significantly elevated inducibility of ventricular fibrillation. In 8 of 10 hearts, incessant ventricular fibrillation occurred. These results suggest a proarrhythmic effect of levosimendan and might explain an increased mortality that coincided levosimendan treatment in a few small clinical studies.