David Jewitt, Andrew G. Mitchell, John Birkhead
Aug 17, 1974
Citations
1
Influential Citations
131
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Lancet
Abstract
Abstract The cardiovascular effects of dobutamine, a new inotropic catecholamine, have been studied in seventeen patients. In a phono-cardiographic study infusions of dobutamine 2·5- 10 μg. per kg. per minute in seven patients with aortic ball-valve prostheses produced increases in the rate of left-ventricular ejection comparable to those produced by isoprenaline in concentrations of 0·02- 0·08 μg. per kg. per minute, but the heart-rate change after isoprenaline was significantly greater. In ten patients with coronary-artery disease or congestive cardiomyopathy these concentrations of dobutamine increased stroke volume, cardiac output, and left-ventricular dp/dt max significantly without significantly changing heart-rate, diastolic arterial pressure, or left-ventricular filling pressure. A separation of the inotropic and chronotropic effects of dobutamine has been demonstrated. This agent therefore has potential therapeutic value in the management of cardiovascular failure associated with low cardiac output after myocardial infarction or open heart surgery, whenever isoprenaline would currently be used.