The effect of dopamine on renal function during aortic cross clamping.

Eighteen male patients undergoing elective surgical reconstruction of the abdominal aorta were divided into two groups. Patients in Group I (nine) were given dopamine intravenously, in a dose of 2 micrograms/kg/min, during the first half of the period of cross-clamping, whilst those in Group II received dopamine during the second half. Each patient acted as his own control and for each, three periods were examined, namely: pre-clamp, clamping with dopamine and clamping without dopamine. Dopamine infusion during aortic clamping caused a significant rise in sodium output (P less than 0.01), potassium output (P less than 0.05), creatinine clearance (P less than 0.05) and urine output (P less than 0.05). We conclude that dopamine infusion during aortic clamping helps to protect the kidney from any deleterious effect of clamping.