Abstract
Intravenous dobutamine was used in ten patients requiring aggressive therapy for massive pulmonary embolism with circulatory failure. Except in one patient who rapidly died, a 30-min dobutamine infusion (8.3 +/- 2.7 micrograms/kg . min) increased both cardiac index (from 1.7 +/- 0.4 to 2.3 +/- 0.6 L/min . m2, p less than .001) and stroke index (from 16.6 +/- 6.7 to 21 +/- 5 ml/m2, p less than .01), and also reduced pulmonary vascular resistance. Additional hemodynamic improvement was observed until weaning from dobutamine, which was successfully completed 3.3 +/- 0.9 days after the start of infusion.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Aged
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Blood Pressure / drug effects
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Cardiac Output / drug effects
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Dobutamine / administration & dosage
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Dobutamine / pharmacology*
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Dobutamine / therapeutic use
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Female
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Heart Rate / drug effects
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Hemodynamics / drug effects*
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Humans
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Infusions, Parenteral
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Oxygen / blood
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Oxygen Consumption
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Pulmonary Embolism / complications
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Pulmonary Embolism / drug therapy*
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Pulmonary Embolism / physiopathology
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Pulmonary Wedge Pressure / drug effects
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Shock / drug therapy*
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Shock / etiology
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Shock / physiopathology
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Vascular Resistance / drug effects