[Application of non-glycoside inotropic agents in newborn infants].

Non glycoside inotropic agents are regularly used in the treatment of critically ill neonates. There are reasons to believe that the neonate reacts differently to these inotropic agents because of differences in physiology and maturation. In this paper the oxygen consumption and oxygen transport, heart failure in the newborn, effects of non glycoside inotropic agents in general and the doses of the commonly used inotropic agents (dopamine, dobutamine and isoproterenol) will be discussed. Finally a review of the literature and a therapeutic advise on the use of inotropic agents in the neonate is presented.