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Inotropic Therapy

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Medication that changes the way heart muscle contracts

Expert Heart & Vascular Care

Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our heart or vascular specialists.

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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

Advanced Heart Failure Program

Partner with leaders in the field to manage and treat your heart failure and help you maximize your quality of life.

Learn More

Conditions

Advanced Heart Failure

Advanced heart failure is a form of heart failure that has progressed to the most serious stage.

Cardiomyopathy

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

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.

Physicians

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11 Doctors & Specialists
Dr. Jennifer Rebecca Brown, MD
Dr. Jennifer Rebecca Brown, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology | Cardiology
2002 Medical Parkway Suite 500 Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 573-6480
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Dr. Phillip Hong Lam, MD
Dr. Phillip Hong Lam, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite NW Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-4698
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Dr. Weining David Xu, MD
Dr. Weining David Xu, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
5601 Loch Raven Boulevard O'NEIL BUILDING Baltimore, MD 21239
(410) 554-6550
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Dr. Farooq H. Sheikh, MD
Dr. Farooq H. Sheikh, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
(246)
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite NW Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-4698
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Dr. Ajay Kadakkal, MD
Dr. Ajay Kadakkal, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite NW Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-4698
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Dr. Mark R. Hofmeyer, MD
Dr. Mark R. Hofmeyer, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
(200)
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite NW Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-4698
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Dr. Sandeep Mahendra Jani, MD, MPH
Dr. Sandeep Mahendra Jani, MD, MPH
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
(211)
9105 Franklin Square Drive WHITE SQUARE PROF BLDG Rosedale, MD 21237
(410) 554-6550
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Dr. Samer Samir Najjar, MD
Dr. Samer Samir Najjar, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
(220)
110 Irving Street Northwest First Floor Clinic Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-4698
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Dr. Tolulope Adesiyun Agunbiade, MD
Dr. Tolulope Adesiyun Agunbiade, MD
Cardio-Oncology | Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
3001 South Hanover Street Baltimore, MD 21225
(410) 554-6550
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Dr. George Ruiz, MD
Dr. George Ruiz, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology | Adult Congenital Cardiac Disease
(97)
3333 North Calvert Street Johnston Professional Building Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 554-6550
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Dr. Maria Esperanza Rodrigo, MD
Dr. Maria Esperanza Rodrigo, MD
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
(133)
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite NW Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-4698
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Locations

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6 locations found
MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
5601 Loch Raven Boulevard GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPTIAL Baltimore, MD 21239
(443) 444-4100
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MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
201 East University Parkway Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 554-2266
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MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
9000 Franklin Square Drive Baltimore, MD 21237
(443) 777-7900
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MedStar St. Mary's Hospital
25500 Point Lookout Road MedStar St Mary's Hospital Leonardtown, MD 20650
(301) 475-8981
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MedStar Harbor Hospital
3001 South Hanover Street Baltimore, MD 21225
(410) 350-3200
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MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street Northwest Washington, DC 20010
202-877-3627
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