Cardiogenic shock and L-carnitine: clinical data and therapeutic perspectives.

Research experiences on the use of L-carnitine in conditions of acute hypoxia underline the protective role of this molecule on the cellular enzymic complex. To obtain unconfutable clinical data at this regard, the survival rate in two groups of patients affected by cardiogeic shock was evaluated. The first group (80 patients) was treated with L-carnitine while the second group (36 patients) received sodium bicarbonate. The results showed a significant response to L-carnitine treatment, indicating the role of this molecule on the metabolic acidosis due to shock. The sum of these data confirmed the role of L-carnitine in the reversible phase of cardiogenic shock in terms of enzymic protection in the course of cellular oxidative damage.