Will have to see if I can access the full article, but one possible issue other than the small number of enrolled patients is the timing of their post-milrinone initiation check at 4-6 hours. This is in line with a post-bypass "slump" timeframe that could give us a worst case interpretation.
The hypothesis of vasodilator only effects of milrinone in the pediatric post-cardiac surgery population also would struggle to explain the benefits in mitigation of Low Cardiac Output Syndrome found in the PRIMACORP study in a biventricular repair patient cohort. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.cir.0000051365.81920.28
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Also, adding you to my cardiac critical care starter pack!
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.cir.0000051365.81920.28