In general, sympathomimetic drugs should be avoided because they increase the extent of myocardial necrosis and mortality. Beta-blockers should be avoided in the acutely decompensating phase of illness. Treatment of myocarditis includes supportive therapy for symptoms of acute heart failure with use of diuretics, nitroglycerin/nitroprusside, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Inotropic drugs (eg, dobutamine, milrinone) may be necessary for severe decompensation, although they are highly arrhythmogenic. Long-term treatment follows the same medical regimen, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and aldosterone receptor antagonists. However, in some instances, some of these drugs cannot be implemented initially because of hemodynamic instability.
For more information on the management of myocarditis, read here.
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Cite this: Ali A. Sovari, Yasmine S. Ali, Shabir Bhimji, et. al. Fast Five Quiz: Can You Answer These Challenging Cardiology Questions? - Medscape - Mar 13, 2017.
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