What type of medication should be administered to improve the tissue perfusion for a patient with low cardiac index?

Study for the Board Certified Cardiology Pharmacist Exam. Utilize flashcards and answer multiple-choice questions with detailed explanations. Prepare efficiently for your certification!

In a scenario where a patient has a low cardiac index, the primary goal is to enhance tissue perfusion. Positive inotropes are specifically designed to increase the strength of the heart's contractions, thereby improving cardiac output and ensuring that more blood is pumped to the tissues. These medications help increase heart contractility, which directly raises the ejection fraction, leading to better blood flow and oxygen delivery to vital organs.

For patients with low cardiac index, particularly those who may be experiencing heart failure or shock states, positive inotropes like dobutamine or milrinone can significantly improve hemodynamics. By enhancing the contractility of the myocardial tissue, there's an increased stroke volume, which in turn elevates cardiac index and contributes to improved organ perfusion.

Other options, while they may play roles in a broader context of managing cardiovascular issues, do not specifically address the need for increasing myocardial contractility to improve cardiac output in cases of decreased tissue perfusion. Vasodilators, for instance, can lower systemic vascular resistance but may not help directly in improving cardiac index. Dopamine, depending on its dosage, can act as a weak inotrope but does not reliably enhance contractility like a dedicated positive inotrope does. Norepinephrine is

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