Inotropics

Inotropics

Inotropic drugs, such as cardiac glycosides and phosphodi-esterase (PDE) inhibitors, increase the force of the heart’s con-tractions. In other words, the drugs have what’s known as a positive inotropic effect. (Inotropic means affecting the force or ener-gy of muscular contractions.)

Cardiac glycosides also slow the heart rate (called a negativechronotropic effect) and slow electrical impulse conductionthrough the atrioventricular (AV) node (called a negative dro-motropic effect).