Definitions

Catecholamine

• Compounds containing a catechol moiety (benzene ring with 2 adjacent OH groups) and an amine side chain

Inotrope

• An agent that increases the contractility of the heart
• More specifically called a "positive inotrope"
• Commonly misused term when actually referring to a vasopressor

Chronotrope

• An agent that increases the heart rate
• More specifically called a "positive chronotrope"

Vaspressor

• An agent that increases systemic blood pressure by causing vasoconstriction

Structure-Activity Relationships

Comparison of Agents

• Click here to download a Word doc with a table comparing sympathomimetic drugs
• It includes a blank version
• You should memorise the key points, then fill the details into the blank version once per day until you have it memorised
• It's a grind, but it doesn't take that long to do