Safety of physical exercise in heart failure patients undergoing inotropic infusion

Abstract

Objective: To describe the occurrence of adverse events during physical exercise in patients with Decompensated Heart Failure (DHF) undergoing inotropic therapy. Methods: This is a retrospective, single-center cohort study using electronic medical records. Data were collected from patients undergoing inotropic therapy attended by the physiotherapy team of the Cardiointensive Unit of a University Hospital, from June 2021 to June 2022. Clinical and sociodemographic information, vital signs, adverse events during physiotherapy sessions under inotropic infusion, and the level of mobility classified by the Intensive Care Unit Mobility Scale (IMS) were recorded. Data were analyzed using JAMOVI® 2.3.21 software. Results: Thirty-four patients were included, with 263 physiotherapy sessions. In these sessions, 16 adverse events (6.10%) were reported, with 5.70% classified as mild, 0.40% as moderate, and no serious adverse events. The most frequent events were dizziness without hypotension (7) and hypotension (6), especially with high doses of inotropic agents. The IMS between 6 and 10 was achieved in 71.00%, 56.80%, and 15.60% with low, moderate, and high doses, respectively. Conclusion: The absence of serious adverse events and the low occurrence of moderate events suggest that physical exercise is safe for this patient profile.